Manipur: CBI Files Chargesheet against 5 Individuals in Arms Looting Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against five individuals in connection with the looting of arms and ammunition from Manipur Police personnel in May 2023.

The chargesheet was filed before the court of the chief judicial magistrate, Kamrup (Metro), in Assam’s Guwahati, as confirmed by a CBI spokesperson.

The federal agency took over the case from Manipur Police (Heingang police station in Imphal East) in June of the previous year.

The case revolves around an incident on May 4, 2023, where a mob reportedly stormed into the Manipur Police Training College’s (MPTC) Pangei complex and allegedly looted a substantial cache of arms and ammunition from the armoury during an ethnic conflict in the northeastern state, as stated by the CBI spokesperson.

Since May 2023, Manipur has been contending with violence triggered by a high court order directing the state government to contemplate the inclusion of the non-tribal Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST). This ruling has sparked widespread ethnic clashes, causing over 200 fatalities and numerous injuries.