Person with disability found dead in Manipur; Arambai Tengol members held
A 29-year-old person with a disability was found dead in Imphal West on Tuesday, days after the members of the Meitei group Arambai Tengol allegedly abducted him, sparking fresh tensions in the ethnic violence-hit Manipur.
Residents took to the streets demanding action against Chesam Abdul Kadir's killers. Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, who retaliated by throwing stones and using slingshots.
Police said Kadir went missing on June 10. Nine people, including six Arambai Tengol members, were arrested in the case and remanded in police custody until June 28. Police also seized five vehicles.
A police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the arrested accused admitted that Kadir died while they 'questioned him' over an alleged theft attempt. 'They also confessed to burying his body near a riverbank.'
Yunus Khan of the Disabled Development Association of Manipur said Kadir was assaulted and killed mercilessly. 'He had a Unique Disability ID issued by the government and had a 65% disability. Disabled individuals are often discriminated against and falsely accused, which must be stopped.'
The murder came to light amid a series of arrests of Arambai Tenggol members as part of an ongoing crackdown in Manipur. On June 12 and 13, two Arambai Tenggol members were arrested for their alleged involvement in a June 9 mob attack that left additional police superintendent Wangkhomba Okramcha injured.
The arrest of five Arambai Tenggol members, including Kanan Singh, this month over their involvement in the ethnic violence in the state, triggered the latest wave of unrest in Manipur. Hundreds of protesters resorted to arson and threw stones at security forces as the news of the arrest broke.
The Arambai Tenggol demanded the immediate release of the five and announced a 10-day shutdown, which was called off four days later.
Kanan Singh was dismissed from the police force this year over his alleged involvement in smuggling weapons and looting armouries.
The authorities suspended broadband and mobile data services in Imphal East and West, Kakching, Thoubal, and Bishnupur, saying some 'anti-social elements might use social media' to incite the public in the aftermath of Kanan Singh's arrest. A curfew was reimposed in Bishnupur for the first time this year. The movement of people in the valley districts was restricted due to apprehension of a breach of peace.
The protracted violence between Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur was triggered in May 2023 and has left around 250 people dead and thousands displaced. Meiteis live largely in the plains of the Imphal valley, and the Kukis in the hills. They have withdrawn to their respective strongholds. The groups have since 2023 set up road blockades on highways to restrict each other's and the movement of essential items between their strongholds. Kuki leaders have blamed Arambai Tenggol for the violence.
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