The Manipur Police have registered a criminal case at Phougakchao police station against the Assam Rifles for “obstruction of duty” and “criminal intimidation”.

Reportedly, 9 Assam Rifles had blocked a Manipur police team on the Kwakta and Pholjang Road using their Casper vehicles at around 6.30 am on August 5, thereby allowing "Kuki militants" who were taking shelter in Ward number 8 of Kwakta to "flee" after three Meitei men were killed.

The Police suspected the Kuki militants were responsible for the death of the three Meitei men.

"As such, an arrogant act of the personnel of Assam Rifles gave a chance to the accused Kuki militants to escape freely to a safe zone," read the FIR

Earlier, on August 7, the BJP State leadership submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi which stated, “Assam Rifles has been charged by the public for their biased role in tackling the situation by favouring and supporting one side only”.

In regard to this, they demanded the removal of the Assam Rifles from Manipur permanently. 

The Army on Tuesday in a statement posted on their official Twitter handle said, some inimical elements had made desperate, repeated, and failed attempts to question the role, intent, and integrity of the Central security forces, especially Assam Rifles, who are working relentlessly towards saving lives and restoration of peace in Manipur since May 3.

“It needs to be understood that due to the complex nature of the situation on the ground in Manipur, occasional differences at tactical level do occur between various security forces. However, all such misunderstandings at the functional level are immediately addressed through the joint mechanism to synergise the efforts for restoration of peace and normalcy in Manipur,” it said.

The Army said, two instances have emerged over the past 24 hours aimed at maligning the Assam Rifles. While in first case, the Assam Rifles Battalion acted strictly in accordance with the mandate of the unified headquarters of strict enforcement of buffer zone guidelines towards the aim of preventing violence between the two communities, the second case of the Assam Rifles being moved out of an area was not even related to them.

An infantry battalion of the Army is deployed in the area (ever since the crisis erupted in May) from where the narrative of the Assam Rifles being moved out has been made.

The statement added that Indian Army and the Assam Rifles “assure the people of Manipur that we will continue to remain firm and resolute in our actions to prevent any attempt that could result in furthering violence in an already volatile atmosphere”.

(Source- The Hindu)