Fresh tension has been reported in strife-torn Manipur after over 200 rioters attacked the home of Additional Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar and briefly abducted him. According to news agency PTI, Kumar was quickly rescued and is currently recovering at a local hospital. With Indian Army being deployed in Imphal East, here are the top updates on the new round of violence in Manipur:

  1. In a post on social media platform X, the Manipur Police confirmed the details of the attack. “Armed miscreants” attacked ASP’s residence on Tuesday night. The PTI says that the rioters belonged to a group that has allegiance to the Arambai Tenggol. The attack took place at Kumar’s home located in Imphal East’s Wangkhei. The rioters vandalised the property. Later, Kumar was abducted by the rioters.
  2. The officials say that the rioters attacked Kumar because previosuly, six members of group were arrested by the official in connection with a vehicle theft case. After the arrests, a group of Meitei women had also blocked roads and held protests seeking release of the individuals. Following this, the Tuesday night attack took in which the house of ASP was ransacked and as many as four vehicles parked outside were also damaged.
  3. The attackers started firing indiscriminately and damaging the property. Amid all the chaos, Kumar was also abducted. As soon as the local police and security forces got to know about the attack, they rushed to the spot. In swift set of events, the security forces were able to rescue Kumar.
  4. After the attack, the state government requested the presence of armed forces in the area as Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act is not applicable in valley region. Following this, four columns of the Assam Rifles have been deployed around the area in Imphal East.
  5. Since May 3 last year, the region has experienced increasing violence, with over 180 casualties reported following a “Tribal Solidarity March” in the hill districts protesting the Meitei community’s request for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The Meiteis, who make up approximately 53 percent of Manipur’s population and mainly reside in the Imphal Valley, differ from the tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, who constitute 40 percent and primarily inhabit the hill districts.