IMPHAL: At least 175 people were killed, 1108 others were injured, and 32 were missing in Manipur since ethnic violence broke out in the state four months ago, Inspector General of Police (Operations) I.K. Muivaa said here on Friday. The official said that 4,786 houses were set on fire, and 386 religious structures were destroyed or vandalized. IGP Muivah said that of the 386 religious structures destroyed or vandalized, 254 are churches and 132 are temples. Of the weapons that have been 'lost', 1359 firearms and 15,050 various types of ammunition were recovered, the IGP told the media.
In various reports, political parties claimed that during the ethnic riots, which broke out on May 3, over 4,000 different types of sophisticated arms and lakhs of different kinds of ammunition were looted from the police stations and police outposts by the mobs, attackers, and militants. Reassuring the people of Manipur, the IPS officer said that the police, central forces, and civil administration are working round the clock to restore normalcy.
"Security barricades from Phougakchao Ikhai in Bishnupur district to Kangvai in Churachandpur district have been removed, while security has been provided on the national highways," he stated. The police official claimed that the latest action of the state force would go down well with the public, which had wanted the security barricades removed and the internally displaced allowed to return to their places of origin. He said that since the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, as many as 5,172 arson cases were reported, with 4,786 houses set on fire.
Inspector General of Police (administration) K. Jayanta said that of the 175 people who died, nine are still unidentified. He said 79 of the bodies have been claimed, while 96 remain unclaimed. Jayanta said that 28 bodies were kept at the Regional Institute of Medical Science, 26 bodies at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, and 42 bodies at the Churachandpur district hospital.
He said that 9,332 cases have been registered in connection with the violence and breaching of law and order, and 325 people have been arrested from across the state. Inspector General of Police (Zone-3) Nishit Ujjwal said that the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2) and the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37) are functioning normally. The ethnic violence between the non-tribal Meiteis and tribal Kukis broke out in the northeastern state after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. (IANS)
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