Mob barges into Churachandpur SP office complex, 1 protester killed

Churachandpur/Imphal: Fresh violence broke out in Manipur's Churachandpur on Thursday night after a mob barged into the government complex housing the SP and DC offices and torched vehicles and ransacked government property, hours after a head constable of the district police was suspended after he was allegedly seen with armed men in a video grab, an official said.

Several buses and trucks used by security forces were burnt by the agitators as hundreds of them entered the office rooms and vandalised government property, the official said.

Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells and used "minimum lethal force" to disperse the agitators and are currently working to bring the situation under control, he said, adding, "the situation is extremely volatile." Eyewitnesses said one person died and as many as 30 people sustained injuries in the clash.

"Trouble started in front of the Churachandpur SP office around 7.40pm soon after the suspension order by SP Sivanand Surve went viral in various social media groups," the eyewitness said.

Earlier in the day, Manipur Police had posted on X, "A mob numbering approximately 300-400 attempted to storm the office of SP CCP today, pelting stone, etc. The SF (security forces) including RAF is responding appropriately by firing tear gas shell to control the situation. Things are under watch." Head constable Siamlalpaul was kept "under suspension with immediate effect until further orders" after a video of him with "armed men" and "sitting together with village volunteers" went viral on social media.

"This tantamount to very grave misconduct being a member of the disciplined police force," a police order said.

"A departmental inquiry is being contemplated against Siamlalpaul of Churachandpur district police, as a clip has gone viral on social media showing him making a video with armed men on February 14," the order said.

Siamlalpaul has been asked not to "leave the station without prior permission" and "his pay and allowances have been restricted to subsistence allowance admissible as per the rules", it said.

Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has held SP Shivanand Surve responsible for the incident.

"If the SP cannot act with fairness, we will not allow him to remain in any tribal areas. He should immediately revoke the suspension of the policeman and leave the district within 24 hours. Otherwise, Mr. Surve will bear sole responsibility for any future incident," the forum said in a statement.