8,640 arms deposited in Manipur ahead of polls

Imphal, Dec 17 (IANS) Responding to the instructions of the authorities, as many as 8,648 arms of various natures were deposited in Manipur ahead of the Assembly elections, likely to be held in February-March next year, an official said on Friday.

An official of the Manipur government said that there are around 25,300 licensed arms in Manipur and the government is expecting that all the arms owners would deposit their arms in the nearest police stations at the earliest to prevent pre-poll violence.

A Manipur Home Department official said that district magistrates of all the 16 districts recently issued separate notifications, asking people to deposit their arms immediately in the nearest police stations.

"Those who do not deposit their arms and ammunition, the licensee is liable to be punished for violation of state government instructions under the relevant provisions of the Arms Act, 1959, read with Arms Rules 2016," the official said, quoting the notification.

In the past one month, many people were injured, including some with bullet wounds, in several incidents of violence as various political parties undertook campaigning in different parts of the northeastern state.

Unidentified miscreants detonated two powerful bombs in Imphal East District recently though none was injured as both the explosions took place early in the morning.

Security forces, including the army and Assam Rifles, are on high alert in Manipur after a series of incidents, including the deadliest terror attack on November 13 in which Assam Rifles Colonel Viplav Tripathi and four jawans of the para-military force were gunned down in Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar.

Colonel Tripathi's wife and their nine-year-old son were also killed in the ambush.

Elections to the 60-seat Manipur Assembly are likely to be held in February-March next year along with polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa.