As tension continues in Manipur and the curfew is extended for another five days, recovery of weapons looted from police stations is turning out to be the biggest concern for the security establishment. Most of these weapons have been looted by Meitie groups in Imphal and the fear of these falling in the hands of militant groups such as the PLA has security forces burning midnight oil to make their recovery.
According to sources in Manipur, more than 1,000 weapons and 10,000 rounds were looted from Manipur Police Training College, two police stations, and an IRB battalion camp in Imphal by Meities during the first few days of the violence in Manipur. Similarly, police stations in Churachandpur were attacked and looted by Kukis, sources said.
It is suspected that these weapons were used by the respective communities in targeting each other in their areas of dominance and continue to be used to foment trouble sporadically. Underlining the sensitivity of the issue, sources said, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a Valley-based umbrella body of civil society groups, has informed police that it has been getting anonymous calls to pressure government to stop recovery weapons or else the situation would further worsen in the state.
Conceding it to be a matter of concern, former CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh, who was appointed as adviser to Manipur government in the wake of the violence, said, “We are making recoveries. Till now we have recovered 456 arms and…
