Fresh clashes erupted between security forces and protesters in specific areas of Imphal West on Friday (September 22) night, sparked by the re-arrest of one of the five defence volunteers who had been released on bail earlier in the day by an Imphal special court. News agency PTI reported citing officials that on the ground the outbreak of these clashes, there has been no official confirmation of the re-arrested youth’s status.
While four of the arrested youth were released on bail and returned to their families, Moirangthem Anand, a former member of the banned People’s Liberation Army, was among those re-arrested. Anand’s wife, visibly upset in front of the Imphal police station, stated, “I have been told by the police that my husband has been arrested in connection with a previous case that is more than a decade old,” as reported by PTI.
One of the released village defence force volunteers, identified as L Michael, informed reporters, “Though four of us were released from the lock-up, Anand was whisked away by a few officials. That’s the last time we saw him.” Meanwhile, security forces, including personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), deployed several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse protesters at Kwakeithel stretch, Singjamei, and Uripok in Imphal West district. In protest against the government and the police, demonstrators set tires ablaze in the middle of the road.
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Earlier in the day, a special court in Imphal had granted bail to the five youths upon the submission of a personal recognizance (PR) bond of Rs 50,000 each. The arrests had stemmed from a police operation on September 16 in Kongba, Imphal East district, during which Anand was found in possession of one INSAS rifle along with 78 rounds of ammunition.
On Thursday, security forces and protesters clashed across the state as demonstrators attempted to storm police stations as part of a “court arrest agitation,” demanding the unconditional release of the five village defence volunteers.
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