GUWAHATI: Protests erupted in Imphal on Monday, October 19, after suspected militants killed several people in two separate incidents in Manipur, prompting demonstrators to place the bodies of two victims outside Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh’s bungalow.
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The fresh outbreak of violence has heightened security concerns in the state, with at least four people reported dead in separate incidents since Sunday night. The killings triggered widespread outrage, bringing parts of Imphal to a near standstill.
In the first incident, violence reportedly broke out during a musical event in a locality inhabited by Meiteis and Pangal Muslims. Stone-pelting and gunfire left several people injured, while a 24-year-old man later succumbed to bullet injuries.
In a separate incident at Khamenlok in Imphal East district, at least three villagers were reportedly shot dead by suspected tribal militants while collecting firewood in the nearby hills. Three others were also injured in the attack.
The area reportedly has a presence of Kuki militant groups.
Following the killings, agitated villagers marched towards the Chief Minister’s high-security bungalow in Imphal, carrying the bodies of the victims. Protesters placed the bodies outside the premises, prompting security personnel to use tear gas and resort to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
Police fired several rounds of tear gas shells as tensions escalated. The bodies were subsequently taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences for further procedures.
One of the injured, identified as Ksh Deven, was reported to be in serious condition.
The latest incidents have added to the prevailing security concerns in Manipur, where authorities are facing renewed pressure to contain violence and restore normalcy.
