2,000 women in Imphal stop CBI team probing arms loot in Manipur police training college

A crowd of over 2,000 women from Pangei blocked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team from entering the Manipur Police Training College (MPTC) Pangei on June 22. The CBI team had arrived to investigate the alleged looting of a significant cache of arms and ammunition from the MPTC armoury, which occurred during the recent ethnic violence in the region.

The women, gathered in front of the college's main gate around 2 pm, staged a sit-in protest, effectively blocking the entrance and denying the CBI team access. Despite the CBI team's arrival around 3:30 pm, they were unable to proceed with their investigation and eventually left the area after being denied entry by the determined crowd.

The incident in question took place on May 3, when a mob allegedly stormed the MPTC Pangei and stole a substantial amount of arms and ammunition from the armoury amidst the communal conflict. Following the incident, the Heingang Police Station registered a case and initiated an investigation to recover the stolen weapons.

The alleged looting of firearms by miscreants from the Kangpokpi Police Station on May 4 triggered a series of similar incidents across the valley region of Manipur. Multiple armouries, police stations, and battalions fell victim to the chain of alleged looting, with sophisticated weapons being stolen in the wake of the riots.

To address the situation, a CBI team arrived at the Heingang Police Station on June 21. Their objective was to gather relevant documents and information, meticulously assess the number of weapons allegedly looted from the MPTC Pangei, and devise a plan for their recovery. However, their progress was hindered by the recent blockade orchestrated by the women at the college premises.