
Meitei leader's arrest: Protests continue in Manipur defying prohibitory orders
Protesters took out torchlight processions overnight, burnt a government building and clashed with security forces, defying prohibitory orders as Manipur continued to witness demonstrations over the arrests of a Meitei organisation leader and four others, police said on Monday (June 9, 2025)
Also read: Manipur government imposes curfew, Internet suspension in Bishnupur, four other districts
Clashes broke out between protesters and security personnel in Kwakeithel and Singjamei in Imphal West district, prompting the police to fire several rounds of tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the agitators, an officer said.
The Sub-Divisional Collector (SDC) Office at Yairipok Tulihal in Imphal East district was set on fire, causing partial damage to the building, and official records were destroyed, he said.
The police have initiated an investigation to identify the culprits behind the arson, the officer said, adding that security in the area has been heightened to prevent untoward incidents.
The demonstrators created mounds of soil on roads in Sekmai and Koirengei areas in Imphal West district to prevent the movement of security forces.
They burnt tyres in the middle of the roads and clashed with security forces in Wangkhei, Yairipok and Khurai in Imphal East district, and several rounds of tear gas shells were fired to disperse them, another officer said.
Burnt tyres with smoke billowing were seen on the roads in several localities across Imphal this morning.
"The situation continues to remain tense with protesters blocking several roads with bamboo sticks. Though several roadblocks, particularly on the Tiddim road that leads to the Imphal airport, have been cleared by security forces," a police officer said.
Women's groups joined the protests and held torchlight processions in Khurai, demanding the immediate formation of a government in the state, which is now under the President's rule.
Protests erupted across Manipur since Saturday (June 7) over the arrests of Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol leader Kanan Singh and four others.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it has arrested a member of Arambai Tenggol at Imphal Airport on Sunday for his alleged involvement in various criminal activities related to Manipur violence in 2023, while the police did not disclose details of the four others
Prohibitory orders imposed, internet suspended
Prohibitory orders have been clamped in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts, while internet and mobile data services, including VSAT and VPN facilities, have been suspended in these valley areas since Saturday night after violent protests erupted across the state.
Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Sunday held a security review meeting with senior officials in the wake of the demonstrations across the state.
More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.
The Centre had on February 13 imposed the President's rule in the northeastern State after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned.
The State Assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.

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India Today
43 minutes ago
- India Today
Profile: How Arambai Tenggol rose to run parallel govt in Manipur?
After months-long lull in violence, Manipur is up in flames again. Meitei-dominated districts have witnessed major protests against the arrest of the self-styled 'army chief' of Arambai Tenggol (AT), the armed ethnic group which has emerged as the new power centre in Manipur after ethnic clashes broke out two years crackdown on AT may widen further in the coming days as the Central government reins in extremist groups linked warring Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities to bring in reconciliation and peace. AT chief Korounganba Khuman – a man in his late 30s – is also named multiple criminal cases including one under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Arambai Tenggol cadre at a training camp in Manipur. advertisementArambai Tenggol's rise in Manipur has been nothing short of phenomenal. It is now virtually embedded in almost every walk of Manipur life – ranging from politics, academia, religion, civil society, and security. It was floated in 2020 but rose to prominence when ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023. In Manipur, AT is loved and hated in equal measures. While it has been accused of extortion, murder, and arms robbery, AT has received praise for widespread rescue and relief work during recent BIG CATCH Though the Manipur Police has arrested a few members of the AT in the past, Ashem Kanan Singh's arrest is the first of a senior functionary. An angry AT announced a 10-day 'total shutdown' in the valley beginning Saturday evening. A curfew is imposed in Bishnupur, while prohibitory orders restricting the assembly of five or more people have been enforced in the valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, and Kakching. The Internet is also suspended in many areas. As per AT chief Korounganba Khuman, this photo was captured after Arambai Tenggol Unit 45 collaborated with the state fire service personnel to put off a fire in Thangmeiband Cheiraoching, Imphal on March 24, 2025. advertisementIn a statement, the police said Singh was arrested for 'his criminal activities, which include several acts of grave nature and involvement in unlawful activities and criminal cases registered against him'. Though the charges against him are not spelt out, Singh is named in at least two FIRs – one regarding the snatching of a Fortuner SUV from a citizen and the second related to the abduction of Imphal West additional SP Amit in February served as the head constable before deserting the Manipur Police. Interestingly, he was not suspended despite a formal complaint against him in two serious criminal cases. Police suspended him on March 3 this KHUMAN: PAST & PRESENTArambai Tenggol chief, Korounganba Khuman, is often invited as a guest at prominent community events and is frequently pictured with Manipur's titular king and BJP Rajya Sabha MP 'Maharaja' Sanajaoba Leishemba. He seems to have a long-term affiliation with the maharaja. Photos show Khuman wearing identity cards issued by the Manipur Royal Palace including one carrying 'PSO', indicating that he might have served as the Personal Security Officer (PSO) to Leishemba. His pictures with the politician date back to Facebook profile reveals he is a follower of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara. 'CHE GUEVARA. ONE OF MY GREATEST HERO. A REAL HERO,' he wrote in 2014. He is named in at least three FIRs for attacking security forces and abducting a senior police officer, and firing at his residence in capital Imphal, as per police ARAMBAI TENGGOLAT projects itself as a Meitei revivalist social organisation committed to restoring the community to its pre-democracy glory, and is deeply entrenched in the Meitei society. It has a well-structured organisation divided into separate units responsible for the group's activities in different media footage and photos analysed by India Today reveal the outfit's arms-wielding, bulletproof jacket and satellite phone-sporting members openly roam around and enforce their rules. To galvanise public support, its members organise gatherings where they make them pledge support to the AT and its principles. Boards at the AT headquarters describe duty roaster for its members and the advertisementBefore last week's arrests, the Manipur Police arrested at least 12 members of the AT for alleged murder, ransom, attacks on police personnel, and clashes between April 2024 and January this year, the official data published on X reports also say AT members have occupied houses and shops left behind by the Kukis in the valley and allocated them to others for a monthly rental and security money. AT seems to be making forays into local business. Its Facebook page suggests its involvement in the perfume and mushroom trade. A mushroom packet bearing a label that reads: The radical militant outfit emerged as the undisputed power centre when it summoned nearly 39 MLAs and MPs across party lines, including then chief minister N Biren Singh, and forced them to sign a document containing its demands in January 2024. Three MLAs, including two from BJP and the state Congress chief K Meghachandra, were assaulted for refusing to sign the document. In a Facebook post, the group's leader said it will consider the leader who won't attend as 'enermy of the Meiteis' and will deal with them accordingly. Interestingly, a police case is registered for this March 2025, the Manipur Police recovered a small quantity of heroin from one of its offices in Imphal's Khurai. In its defence, AT said the drug was seized and was meant to be destroyed on International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. AT has been praised for its rescue and relief work during the recent floods in Manipur. In recent weeks, Arambai Tenggol has solidified its standing in the Meitei society for its rescue and relief work in flood-affected areas. Social media footage shows young men in AT's logo-printed black T-shirts rescuing vulnerable people to safety, distributing relief material, setting up relief camps, and even donating drinking water to affected households. One post even showed its members repairing a road in also organises health check-up camps for people, and football tournaments and marathons for its members. The organisation also holds a 'police court' at its headquarters. IN THIS STORY#Manipur


Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Brooms, not bars: Manipur Police's unique approach for protest management
Imphal, In a novel twist to conventional policing, Manipur Police has traded handcuffs for brooms and shovels, initiating a "community service" programme for dozens of youths detained in various districts of the valley during violent protests since June 7. This unique approach follows the unrest which was witnessed on the streets after the arrest of prominent Arambai Tenggol leader Asem Kanan Singh and four associates during a joint operation of Manipur Police and the CBI as he was wanted in several cases. During the protests, people demanded unconditional release of Singh and others, leading to a 10-day bandh called by Arambai Tenggol, which was eventually called off on Tuesday. Instead of facing formal charges that could mar their futures, over three dozen young people found themselves on the streets, not as rioters, but as cleaners. Leveraging the innovative provisions of the recently introduced Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita , Manipur Police handed them the tools of civic duty – brooms and shovels – to clear the very roadblocks, burnt tyres, and concrete debris they or others had created during the protests. This unconventional move, police officials said, was a deliberate choice to safeguard the careers of these "misguided youths." Widely shared photos and videos show these young people in custody sweeping the roads and cleaning up the mess left over from the three-day protest, creating a powerful picture of justice balanced with a touch of civic duty. The unrest that preceded this unusual policing method was significant. On June 7, widespread agitation erupted across various valley districts following the arrest of Singh, a dismissed head constable of Manipur Police. The accused is wanted in several cases, including the February 27, 2024, attack by armed Arambai Tenggol members on the residence of Imphal West Additional Superintendent of Police Moirangthem Amit. Investigations are also underway into his alleged involvement in drug mafia, vandalising offices belonging to the Deputy Inspector General and Inspector General , an attack on the 1st Manipur Rifles, and arms smuggling. While Arambai Tengol outfit on Tuesday announced that it was ending its 10-day strike call but continuing with their peaceful and democratic manner for pressing their demand of releasing Singh, the outfit distanced itself from any violent activities being done on the streets of the outfit in its name.
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Business Standard
6 hours ago
- Business Standard
Meitei group member held for firing at forces, 19 more detained in Manipur
A member of the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol was apprehended for allegedly firing at security personnel during the recent protests in Manipur over the arrests of a leader of the organisation and four others, police said on Wednesday. Nineteen others were also detained for their alleged involvement in violence during demonstrations in Imphal, a senior officer said. The Arambai Tenggol member was arrested on Tuesday as he was accused of firing at security personnel when they were trying to clear a roadblock in Tera Sapam area in Imphal West district on June 9, the officer said. "The assailant, an Arambai Tenggol cadre, namely Raj @Boinao Pangeijam (39), was arrested by Manipur Police along with the weapon of offence (pistol)," the police said, adding that he was produced before a magistrate and has been remanded to police custody for eight days. "Protesters, belonging to Arambai Tenggol, attacked security forces while they were trying to clear the roadblock at Tera Sapam, in Imphal West district. One of the protesters opened fire on the troops there and fled the spot," the officer said. The police also detained 19 people for their involvement in "street violence in Imphal East district", he said. "They were found blocking roads, harassing commuters and creating public disturbances, mostly in inebriated conditions, and their actions caused inconvenience to the law-abiding citizens and disrupted public order," the officer said. Manipur has been witnessing protests as demonstrators defied prohibitory orders and clashed with security forces across several districts of Imphal valley, demanding the unconditional release of arrested Arambai Tenggol leader Kanan Singh and four others. The police also urged all, especially the youth, not to get involved in unlawful and anti-social activities, and said "engaging in such behaviour can lead to legal consequences that may adversely affect one's future and career prospects". More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023. The Centre had on February 13 imposed the President's rule in Manipur after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.