Daijiworld Media Network- Imphal

Imphal, Feb 22: In a significant development, a man in Manipur’s Kakching district voluntarily returned a cache of looted arms and ammunition on Friday, a day after governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla urged citizens to surrender illegally acquired weapons within seven days.

A senior police official confirmed that the weapons were handed over to Kakching District Superintendent of Police Thokchom Vikramjit Singh.

Among the recovered items were:

• One .303 rifle with a magazine

• Thirteen .303 bullets

• Four bulletproof vests

• Five bulletproof plates

• Four security force helmets

Police officials expressed optimism that more looted arms and ammunition would be returned in the coming days.

Governor Bhalla, in his appeal on Thursday, warned of strict action against those in possession of illegal arms.

"The government is deeply concerned about the circulation of weapons looted from state armouries and other sources, as they pose a serious threat to the safety and security of society," he stated.

His appeal follows the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur on February 13, which also led to the suspension of the state assembly.

The surrender of looted weapons comes against the backdrop of the ethnic riots that erupted on May 3, 2023, leading to widespread violence. Reports suggest that over 6,000 sophisticated arms and lacs of rounds of ammunition were looted from police stations and outposts during the unrest.

Security forces, including the army, assam rifles, central armed police forces, and Manipur Police, have since launched regular search operations to recover the stolen weapons.

Despite repeated appeals from the former chief minister N Biren Singh and the Manipur home department, there had been little response from those in possession of looted arms until now.

Since assuming office on January 3, Governor Bhalla has undertaken visits to conflict-hit districts and held meetings with community leaders, civil society organisations, and security officials to assess the ground situation.

On Friday, he met Lieutenant General Vikas Lakhera, director general of Assam Rifles, at Raj Bhavan, where he was briefed on security operations and troop deployment strategies in the region.

With law enforcement agencies maintaining pressure on armed groups, authorities expect further surrenders of illegal weapons in the coming days.