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Manipur violence: Srinagar top cop sent back to state as tensions flare up
A fresh spell of violence broke out in Manipur on Tuesday over the killing of two students belonging to the Meitei community who had gone missing in July.
As fresh violence gripped Manipur following the killing of two students, the union home ministry on Thursday repatriated senior Srinagar police official Rakesh Balwal to the northeastern state. This comes nearly a month after the home ministry proposed the need for more officials in Manipur due to the prevailing law and order situation.
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“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for premature repatriation of Shri Rakesh Balwal, IPS from AGMUT cadre to Manipur cadre,” read a notification.
Notably, the IPS officer is of Manipur cadre posted in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2021, he took over as the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Srinagar. He has earlier served as Superintendent of Police to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2018 for a four-year term. Balwal was a part of the team that investigated the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.
Two students killed in Manipur
A fresh spell of violence broke out in Manipur on Tuesday over the killing of two students belonging to the Meitei community who had gone missing in July. Soon after the mobile internet services were restored, the photos of the two students went viral on social media.
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According to the initial probe, the duo may have eloped on July 6 but got trapped in an area dominated by the Kuki community while fleeing, after which they were allegedly abducted and murdered, said the Manipur police. The case has now been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
This incident led to students and residents coming out on the streets to protest, during which they clashed with police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel. Reportedly, around 25 to 30 demonstrators sustained injuries.
In view of this, the state government on Tuesday reimposed the ban on mobile internet services for five days in the violence-hit state.
