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29 suspected Bangladeshis held in Manipur with Assam Aadhaar cards: CM Biren Singh
Biren Singh said that 29 people were arrested for possessing Aadhaar cards issued in Assam and violating the Inner Line Permit norms of Manipur.
Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Monday said that 29 suspected Bangladeshis, carrying Aadhaar cards issued in Assam, were apprehended in Imphal West district.
He said that acting on a tip-off, police apprehended the suspected Bangladeshis working at a bakery in the Mayang Imphal Bengoon area on Monday.
“They possessed Aadhaar cards issued in Assam and were arrested on the basis of suspicion. They violated norms of Inner Line Permit of Manipur government,” Biren Singh told reporters.
He said that since the documents indicated they were from Assam, the 29 people would be handed over to Assam authorities on Tuesday.
The chief minister also mentioned that a revenue department official responsible for issuing them ILPs had been suspended.
“The Centre has allowed ILP in Manipur for the protection of the people of the state. What will happen if those involved in implementing it are engaged in such corrupted practices?” Biren Singh asked.
“We suspect there might be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in Manipur,” the chief minister added.
On media queries about Laishram Kamalbabu Singh who went missing from an army camp at Leimakhong in Kangpokpi district, the chief minister said, “Security forces are searching for him. Yesterday, helicopters were used by the army to look for him. Teams have been sent to search for him but no information about his whereabouts has been received yet.”
The wife of Laishram Kamalbabu Singh, a missing Meitei man, is protesting alongside other women in Manipur. Singh reportedly went missing recently from the 57 Mountain Division campus in Kangpokpi district.
Akoijam Ningol Laishram Ongbi Belarani, the wife of Laishram Kamalbabu Singh, said her husband's phone has been unreachable since Monday afternoon, raising concerns about his safety. Singh, a resident of Assam's Cachar district, had been staying at his brother’s home in Loitang Khunou while working at the camp.
The incident has sparked protests across the Imphal Valley, with demands for swift action. In response, the Army has intensified search operations and issued a statement on the efforts.
