Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: Security forces nabbed two suspected insurgent cadres in Manipur during two distinct operations. Police confirmed the arrests are part of an ongoing crackdown on militant activity and extortion.
A combined unit of Thoubal District Police and 31 Assam Rifles grabbed 33-year-old Rajkumar Reagan Singh, also known as Gandhi, on September 5. Intelligence from the Delhi Police Crime Branch triggered the move. They caught Singh near the main gate of the Thoubal District Headquarters on National Highway-102. Police identified the man as an active member of the Revolutionary People's Front and the People's Liberation Army.
A different team consisting of the Combined Departmental Operations and 33 Assam Rifles tracked down 19-year-old Pritam Yumnam on June 5. Also known as Kimi or Abungo, the suspect faces allegations of extortion. Authorities took Yumnam into custody at his home. "The accused was arrested from his residence under Imphal Police Station in Imphal West district," police stated.
Updated at 7th September 2026 at 9:50pm
Adding detail to the previous arrests, police identified Rajkumar Reagan Singh as the son of RK Thoiba Singh from Thangmeiband Lourungpurel Leikai. The arrest of Pritam Yumnam, who police linked to the KCP (Apunba) group, also included his father's name, Romojit Yumnam of Thangmeiband Yumnam Leikai.
Separately, security forces hit an unauthorized Kuki Liberation Army camp on September 7 in Gampum village, Kangpokpi district. A massive joint task force including Manipur Police, CoBRA, CRPF, and the Rapid Action Force raided the site and hauled in eight suspected cadres. Troops cleared the area, seizing seven automatic weapons before locking and sealing the facility for further investigation.
Updated at 8th September 2026 at 1:51pm
The Gampum raid included Mahila personnel among the joint task force. The KLA is a signatory to the Suspension of Operations pact, a point of contention for a coalition of 29 civil society organizations. This coalition, including the Naga People's Union Imphal, released a booklet titled 'Kuki SoO Terror Trails - Evidential Files' this week to push the state and central governments to scrap the agreements.
The groups cite ongoing violations of ground rules, including killings, extortion, and attacks on security forces. They claim that renewing the pacts in September 2025 ignored a March 2023 cabinet resolution that sought to pull out of agreements with groups like the Kuki National Army and Zomi Revolutionary Front. Union general secretary HB Kowarhing Anal, along with convenor Yazing Vicisy Shimray and researcher Munindro Longjam, told reporters they want faster prosecutions of militants currently shielded by these deals.
Updated at 8th September 2026 at 5:51pm
Kuki Inpi and civil society groups from Saikul are firing back, demanding the government explain the September 8 raid on the Gampum site. They claim the operation involved excessive brutality and maintain the facility has operated as a legitimate, designated camp since the 2008 pact was signed.
The groups want to know if the raid was vetted by the Joint Monitoring Group, the body tasked with overseeing ground rule compliance. They argue the operation stinks of majoritarian pressure and warned that authorities must apply the law fairly across all communities instead of bowing to outside influence. They rejected accusations that SoO cadres are stoking the ongoing violence, labeling such claims as groundless.
Updated at 8th September 2026 at 10:06pm
The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) claims the Gampum operation involved the indiscriminate use of crowd control munitions and live ammunition against civilians. The group reports that several people sustained injuries during the raid, requiring emergency medical treatment. They are demanding a formal investigation into these allegations, insisting that state forces must comply with human rights standards and keep their use of force proportional.
KIM also insists that the eight detainees must remain under the legal jurisdiction of Kangpokpi district authorities. They warned that moving the prisoners outside the district without proper legal authorization would further erode public trust in the justice system. The organization formally requested that the Union Government intervene to prevent future operations from destabilizing the established SoO framework.
Updated at 10th September 2026 at 5:49pm
A local court in Imphal East has remanded the eight KLA cadres to police custody until September 14. While the men were held at a Central forces camp initially due to the volatile climate in Kangpokpi and Saikul, sources now suggest the National Investigation Agency is preparing to seek custody of the detainees to probe their possible involvement in wider violence across Manipur.
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