Manipur erupts again after top Meitei leader’s arrest

Fresh unrest has erupted in Manipur following the dramatic arrest of Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol members and its leader Kanan Singh by the CBI, triggering widespread protests and violent clashes across the Imphal valley.

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In response, the authorities have imposed curfew-like restrictions and suspended the Internet services across five key districts to prevent further escalation.

Kanan Singh, believed to be a prominent leader of the Arambai Tenggol, a Meiti activist group, was picked up from the Imphal airport in the early hours of June 8. CBI officials confirmed that he is a prime suspect in several cases related to the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur and had been under surveillance for months.

“He was wanted in multiple cases, including the attack on the house of Additional SP Moirangthem Amit and the officer’s brief abduction in February 2024,” said a senior CBI officer. Kanan Singh, who served as a head constable with the Manipur Police commando unit before being suspended, was reportedly leading several armed vigilante actions in recent months.

Following his arrest, Kanan Singh was immediately flown to Guwahati, where violence-related cases from Manipur are being tried, in accordance with the Supreme Court orders shifting the venue outside the state for impartial proceedings.

The news of Kanan Singh’s arrest spread rapidly across Imphal, sparking a massive outcry among members the Meitei community. Within hours, protesters stormed the streets, blocking roads, burning tyres and even torching vehicles near the Raj Bhavan. Near Kangla Gate, barely 200 metres from the Governor’s residence, the protest turned volatile, forcing the security forces to fire multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Several young men poured petrol on themselves, threatening self-immolation to demand Kanan Singh’s immediate release — a grim sign of the deepening anger within the community.

Fearing a breakdown of law and order, the Manipur administration quickly clamped prohibitory orders in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts. Mobile Internet, broadband, VSAT and even VPN services have been suspended across these areas for the next 48 hours as a precautionary measure.

“The situation remains tense. The Internet suspension is necessary to prevent the spread of inflammatory content and rumours that may incite further violence,” a senior official from the Home Department said.

A delegation of Manipur MLAs met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan on Sunday, urging him to intervene and restore calm. The Governor assured the delegation that “all necessary steps” were being taken to maintain order and address the people’s grievances.

Later, the Governor convened a high-level security meeting with senior administrative, intelligence and police officials to take stock of the ground situation and evaluate response strategies.

The arrest of Kanan Singh has once again exposed the volatile political climate in Manipur, a state still reeling from the 2023 communal clashes that left over 200 dead and thousands displaced.