Pandemonium erupted in Manipur’s valley areas after police detained Asem Kanan, a key leader of Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol, prompting mass protests and an exhaustive regional shutdown.
Central Bureau of Investigation Anti-Corruption Branch at Guwahati arrested Kanan at Imphal airport on Sunday. The official CBI release said that Kanan has been charged with regards to various criminal activities linked to the 2023 ethnic clashes that shook Manipur. The organization confirmed that they had informed Kanan’s family members about his arrest.
The investigating agency asserted that it is dealing with cases associated with the Manipur unrest as per orders from the Supreme Court. Owing to prevailing security issues and police problems, the CBI asserted that legal proceedings in these cases have been shifted from Manipur to Guwahati for safer handling.
The transfer of Kanan to Guwahati was confirmed by CBI officials, where he will be produced before a competent judicial authority to decide on custody matters.
Law enforcement officials reported that Kanan was arrested along with four other Arambai Tenggol members on Saturday in Imphal, although the CBI’s official release named only Kanan as being arrested.
The detention triggered spontaneous and fierce street protests across the city of Imphal. Protesters in hundreds set up roadblocks with burning tires, wooden planks, and other obstructions on major roads. Police responded with tear gas shells, stun grenades, and firing live rounds to disperse the crowds.
In the clashes, a 13-year-old was injured badly in the legs by tear gas canister shrapnel, police claimed. Emergency crews carried the injured teenager to hospitals for treatment.
From Saturday night through 5:30 PM Sunday, health reports counted at least 11 people with injuries stemming from the disturbances, whose conditions worsened with approaching evening.
The authorities deployed security personnel at vantage points across Imphal, such as the Palace Compound region in Imphal East, and Keishampat Bridge, Moirangkhom, and the Tiddim Road corridor leading to Imphal airport in Imphal West.
Arambai Tenggol reacted to the arrests by announcing a total 10-day state shutdown on Saturday, calling for prompt and unconditional release of their arrested members.
One women’s group from Imphal East’s Khurai issued an ultimatum, demanding that “all legislative assembly members who are absent from the state” return to Imphal and form a new people’s government by 6 PM on June 10. The organization threatened that legislators who do not adhere to this deadline would be permanently kept out of the state.
By 5:30 PM on Sunday, valley districts were still in a delicate position, with security measures being tightened and public anger still building.