Imphal (Manipur): A protester was shot dead during a confrontation between security forces and a crowd in Jiribam district, which has been affected by recent violence. The deceased has been identified as 21-year-old K. Athouba. Authorities are investigating the source of the gunfire.
According to protesters, the special commando unit of the Manipur Police opened fire to disperse the crowd, resulting in Athouba’s death and injuries to two others. A police official stated that the mob was attacking and damaging properties belonging to various political leaders and party offices on Sunday night.
The unrest began as protesters targeted properties at Babupara before spreading to other areas under the jurisdiction of the Jiribam police station. Demonstrations were sparked by the killing of three women and three children, who were abducted by militants on November 11.
The properties of political parties, including the Congress, BJP, and Shiv Sena, as well as the home of Jiribam’s Independent MLA, were vandalized by the demonstrators, comprised of both men and women. Aside from Jiribam, no significant incidents have been reported in other districts of Manipur since Sunday night.
In response to the escalating violence, the Manipur government has closed all educational institutions in curfew-affected districts, including Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, and Kakching, for two days—November 18 and 19. The decision was made to ensure the safety of students and teachers amid the ongoing unrest.
Due to the deteriorating law and order situation, authorities have also imposed an indefinite curfew in several districts, including Imphal East and West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, and Kakching. On November 16, Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi ordered the suspension of mobile internet and data services in seven districts for two days in light of the unrest.
The violence and protests over the weekend led to extensive damage, with over two dozen homes of ministers, MLAs, and political leaders, as well as multiple political party offices, coming under attack in several districts, particularly in Imphal East and West.
The tensions followed the recovery of six unidentified bodies in Jiribam on November 15 and 16, believed to belong to the three women and three children who went missing on November 11. Their remains were found near the confluence of the Jiri and Barak rivers along the Manipur-Assam border and have been sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam for autopsies.
Previously, the Manipur Police reported that during an encounter with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on November 11, ten suspected Kuki militants were killed. In another incident, militants had abducted ten individuals from the Meitei community who were residing in a relief camp in Jiribam’s Borobekra sub-division. Following this, the bodies of two elderly civilians were discovered, while one person was rescued, and another returned to the police station voluntarily. The whereabouts of three children and three women remain unknown. Meitei organizations have alleged that Kuki militants kidnapped these individuals before killing them.