Northeast Desk, 16th February: Seven personnel of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) have been suspended following an incident of arms and ammunition looting from the special force’s Chingarel camp in Manipur’s Imphal East district. The suspensions come in response to allegations of grave negligence and dereliction of duties by the personnel.
According to an order issued by the commandant of the 5th India Reserve Battalion on Thursday, the suspended personnel are prohibited from leaving their headquarters without prior permission. The action was taken after arms and ammunition were reportedly stolen from the camp three days prior to the suspension.
Six individuals have been arrested and remanded to police custody in connection with the arms looting case, as confirmed by the Manipur Police. The recovery of four Insas rifles, one AK Ghatak, two SLR magazines, and 16 boxes of 9 mm ammunition looted from the IRB camp further substantiates the severity of the incident.
The looting occurred when a mob broke into the camp of the 5th IRB at Chingarel on February 13, highlighting the challenges faced by security forces in maintaining order and safeguarding sensitive facilities. The incident adds to the existing tensions in Manipur, which has witnessed heightened ethnic violence since May 3 last year.
The unrest stems from a tribal solidarity march organized in protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. With Meiteis constituting the majority of Manipur’s population and residing predominantly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, account for a significant portion and primarily inhabit hilly districts, tensions persist, resulting in a tragic loss of lives.
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