Manipur: Sub-divisional police officer shot dead by armed miscreants in Moreh
Guwahati: Amid the growing demand of removing state forces by civil society groups, a sub-divisional police officer was shot dead by unidentified armed assailants on Tuesday at Moreh, a border township on India-Myanmar international border in Tengnoupal district of Manipur.
Police said that incident took place on Tuesday morning when Moreh SDPO Chingtham Anand was inspecting the newly constructed helipad at Eastern ground in the border town dominated by Kuki-Zo community people.
Informing that miscreants are suspected to have used sniper rifle to target the police team, police said that the SDPO received bullet injury when suspected tribal miscreants open fire. The SDPO was taken to a primary health centre in Moreh where he succumbed to his injury, the police said while stating that an operation has been launched to apprehend the miscreants.
Police sources also suspect the involvement of Kuki insurgents in the attack but they have not made an official statement yet.
The incident comes weeks after several civil society organisations, particularly those based in Moreh, demanded the removal of state forces from the border town.
The Manipur Police had arrested more than 10 Myanmarese in the last couple of days for allegedly stealing furniture and other household items from abandoned residences of Meiteis and for illegally entering into Indian territory.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh, reacting to the arrest of three Myanmarese on October 21 for stealing furniture and electrical items from houses that were burnt down when violence broke out in the state in May, had said, "This happened when some particular organisations were protesting against the deployment of state police and commandos at Moreh town".
More than 180 people have lost their lives since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
