Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: Security forces tightened their grip on Manipur this week, arresting several operatives linked to outlawed insurgent groups and a suspected drug peddler. The crackdown spanned multiple districts, netting weapons and narcotics.
Police arrested Usham Rojit Kumar, a 20-year-old active cadre of the Revolutionary People's Front/People's Liberation Army (RPF/PLA), on August 6 at his home in Korshantabi Maning Leikai. He faces allegations of extortion. In another strike against illegal activity, police took 43-year-old Heisnam Leabanand Singh, alias Pishumngakpa, into custody at his Pishumthong Oinam Leikai residence. Officials linked him to the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party-People's War Group (KCP-PWG) for his alleged involvement in extortion.
In a separate August 5 operation, forces nabbed RC Singson, the self-styled Army Chief of the UKNA Hmar, at Old Gelmol Village in Churachandpur. Singson guided troops to a cache hidden in a Thingchawm Village forest. The haul included one AK-47 rifle, a 9 mm pistol, three improvised explosive devices, and two Baofeng radio sets.
Separately, a mobile vehicle check led by Lilong Police resulted in the arrest of 20-year-old Dolaipabam Asif Hussain. Officers found 139 grams of brown sugar, a two-wheeler, and two mobile phones in his possession. Violence has gripped the state since May 2023, claiming over 260 lives.
Amid these arrests, the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) clarified its internal leadership status. Addressing recent speculation, the group stated that PS Haokip remains president of the KNO. It noted that an earlier decision to remove him applied only to his role within the Kuki National Army. The organization stressed that "the post of KNO president is governed by its internal constitution, rules and established procedures."
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