Imphal, June 8: Authorities in India’s northeastern state of Manipur imposed an indefinite curfew and suspended internet services in five districts late on Saturday following violent protests sparked by the arrest of a senior member of a radical Meitei group.
The unrest began after a joint team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Manipur Police arrested Kanan Meitei, allegedly the “army chief” of the Arambai Tenggol (AT) group, around 9:40 p.m. in Imphal West district. Unconfirmed reports also suggested the arrest of five other AT volunteers earlier in the day, according to local media.
Soon after the arrests, hundreds of people gathered near Kwakeithel in Imphal West in an attempt to intercept the police convoy and free the detainees. Security forces opened fire to disperse the crowd, injuring at least three people, including two journalists, witnesses and officials said.
In response, authorities imposed a blanket curfew in Bishnupur district and enforced prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure — which bans the assembly of four or more people — in the districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, and Kakching.
Internet services were suspended in all five districts for five days beginning at 11:45 p.m. on June 7, a government notification stated.
“The Superintendent of Police… have reported that protests/agitations have organized within the jurisdiction of Thoubal District… and this event is likely to impact the current law and order situation and poses a risk of disrupting peace and tranquillity in the District,” the District Magistrate of Thoubal wrote in an official order.
The order also banned “carrying of firearms, swords, sticks, stone or other lethal weapons, sharp edge articles/objects of any description which can be used as offensive weapons.”
A government official told PTI that “additional security forces have been deployed in these areas to bring the situation under control.”
Arambai Tenggol is an armed Meitei outfit that came into prominence during ethnic clashes that broke out in the state on May 3, 2023. Since then, around 250 people have been killed in violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
The NIA is probing the group’s alleged role in looting weapons from police armories and orchestrating attacks during the unrest. Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13, 2025.
Meanwhile, in Moreh — a town on the Indo-Myanmar border — protests broke out over the arrest of a Kuki-Zo individual. While demonstrations there remained peaceful, authorities have placed the town on high alert.
