Daijiworld Media Network - Imphal

Imphal, Jun 8: Tensions escalated once again in Manipur's capital on Saturday night as members of the Meitei group Arambai Tenggol (AT) staged protests over the arrest of their leader Kanan Singh.

Crowds of mostly youth took to the streets, burning tyres and raising slogans demanding the release of Kanan Singh. The protests, centred in Imphal’s Kwakeithel area, sparked panic, with several residents reporting sounds resembling gunfire.

The protesters claimed that AT members had surrendered looted and illegal weapons following Governor AK Bhalla’s directive and were now disarmed under official assurances. They questioned the arrest of their leader while seeking action against Kuki insurgents, whom they accused of orchestrating attacks on Meitei villages in the guise of ‘village volunteers’.

The fresh agitation in Imphal comes even as Kuki groups protest in Tengnoupal district over the arrest of Kamginthang Gangte, accused of killing Manipur Police officer Chingtham Anand in Moreh last October. Calling it an ‘arbitrary arrest’, Kuki civil society groups have enforced a shutdown in the border district.

Sources said the ongoing ethnic divide has made it difficult for investigators to act without resistance. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is already probing multiple cases in Manipur, including one against AT chief Korounganba Khuman.