Indefinite curfew in Manipur district after 59-year-old killed by miscreants

GUWAHATI : The Manipur government has imposed curfew in Jiribam district for an indefinite period after people staged protests over the killing of a 59-year-old man by suspected militants, an official said on Friday.

The prohibitory orders were clamped on Thursday night after locals set a few abandoned structures on fire following the recovery of the body of Soibam Saratkumar Singh.

The deceased was reported missing after he went to his farm on Thursday morning. The security forces recovered his body later that evening. The body bore injury marks.

When news about the man’s killing spread, the locals vented their ire by setting ablaze some structures. They also staged a protest in front of the Jiribam police station. The situation prompted the authorities to impose curfew on Thursday night. No untoward incident was reported on Friday.

“There is the likelihood of widespread disturbance to peace and public tranquillity or riot or an affray because of unlawful activities of anti-social elements,” the official said, citing the orders issued by the Office of District Magistrate Jiribam.

The local administration also prohibited “assembly of five persons or more, which is likely to turn unlawful, carrying of firearms, sticks… and movement of any person outside their respective residences within the revenue jurisdiction of the district”.

Singh went missing after he had gone to his farm on Thursday morning and later, his body was found with wounds made by a sharp object, a police officer said. Locals had staged a protest in front of Jiribam Police Station, demanding that their licenced firearms taken from them in the wake of elections be returned to them after the completion of the polls.

The administration appealed to the people to maintain peace in the district. “Jiribam district is facing a difficult time in terms of law and order, public peace and tranquillity”, a notice said, adding that “an appeal is made to all sections of society…to maintain peace and calm and not succumb to any false information”.

The district magistrate also requested the Jiribam superintendent of police to “identify vulnerable pockets and deploy security forces to avoid unwanted incidents”. A joint control room comprising officials of Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force, Manipur Police and Indian Reserve Battalion has also been set up for quick communication among security forces in the district.