Manipur DGP Says Anyone Taking the Law Into Their Own Hands Will Be Dealt With Strictly

Manipur DGP Mukesh Singh said that security forces will be more proactive on the operational front, and anyone carrying arms and attempting to take the law into their own hands will be dealt with very strictly in accordance with the law. He added that those found possessing weapons unlawfully will be arrested.

The DGP made the statement while interacting with media persons in Churachandpur district, Manipur, on Saturday.

Mukesh Singh visited Churachandpur district on Saturday and interacted with civil society organisations, police personnel, and paramilitary forces. He said the interaction with the security forces focused on the law-and-order situation as well as the operations being conducted in Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts.

Regarding his interaction with civil society organisations, Mukesh said the purpose was to understand their concerns and explore possible solutions to the problems they are facing.

Mukesh said many positive developments have taken place, including efforts to resettle Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). He added that proactive security arrangements had been made during the cropping season to ensure that incidents that occurred in the past are not repeated.

Stating that there has been considerable improvement in the situation and that security forces are closely monitoring developments, the DGP said, "I am sure that we will be able to establish lasting peace in the two districts."

"Killing of anyone, regardless of the community they belong to, is wrong. A number of killings have occurred in the past. However, we have now deployed more manpower, resources, and paramilitary forces in areas susceptible to clashes between the two communities," the DGP stated.

Mukesh informed that a large part of the vulnerable areas has been covered, and the remaining areas will also be covered in due course, even if it requires some realignment of forces.

"For lasting peace, it is imperative that civil society groups also come forward, take a step forward, shake hands with one another, and try to resolve the differences between the two communities," he added.

Regarding looted weapons, Mukesh said that around 70 percent of the looted arms have been recovered. He noted that the meeting with paramilitary forces and police on Saturday was specifically aimed at addressing this issue.

The DGP reiterated that security forces will be more proactive on the operational front and that anyone attempting to take the law into their own hands while carrying arms will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.

"Those who try to fire at us will be fired upon in self-defence, and proactive operations will continue until the situation is brought under control," the DGP asserted.

Stating that there is a great deal of misinformation on social media, Mukesh said that the police have a social media monitoring cell that takes action against individuals spreading false information or content that could lead to inter-community conflict.

"We are proactively engaging with such cases, and we are taking down sites that are anti-social or anti-national," he added.

He further stated that since 2023, there has been significant improvement in the law-and-order situation. Security forces, he said, are constantly working to address challenges and find ways to establish lasting peace.

"We are hopeful that, in time, we will be able to effectively manage the law-and-order situation," Mukesh stated.

The DGP also said that village volunteers carrying arms will be dealt with according to the law, whether they possess authorised weapons or belong to non-Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups. If they are found moving around in areas where they are not supposed to be, strict action will be taken against them, he said.