The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a suspected terrorist for his alleged involvement in a transnational conspiracy by Myanmar-based rebel groups to wage a war against the Indian government by exploiting the current ethnic unrest in Manipur.
The accused identified as Moirangthem Anand Singh, who was one of the five persons arrested by the Manipur Police for possessing weapons looted from police armoury. He was arrested from Manipur and brought to New Delhi for questioning, news agency PTI reported citing an official.
Following the arrest of these men, massive protests broke out in the twin districts of Imphal East and West as the protesters were claiming them to be village defence activists.
A local court had granted bail to all five accused on Friday following massive protests. However, Singh was immediately placed under arrest and taken to an undisclosed location before being brought to Delhi.
The NIA registered the case suo moto on July 19 in New Delhi, and the agency alleged that the Myanmar-based leaders and proscribed terrorist organisations were recruiting the ground workers, cadres, and sympathisers to augment their strength to carry out attacks on security forces and opposing ethnic groups, as reported by news agency PTI.
The NIA spokesperson reported said that the accused who was arrested in Imphal on Friday was produced before a jurisdiction court on Saturday. The court remanded him to the NIA’s custody for five days.
The five men were reportedly arrested after they were found suspiciously driving an SUV. The arrested men were reportedly found wearing camouflage uniforms, which are used by the security forces and carried various sophisticated weapons.
Following these arrests, massive protests broke out in the twin districts of Imphal East and West and the curfew relaxations were also cancelled in the twin districts.
More than 160 people have been killed while several others injured ever since the ethnic clashes erupted in the northeastern state on May 3 after the tribals of the Kuki community attended a ‘Solidarity March’ to protest against the inclusion of the majority Meitei community in the ST category.
