Curfew imposed in Manipur’s Churachandpur

The district administration of Churachandpur in strife-torn Manipur on Wednesday imposed an indefinite curfew in the Tuibong sub-division following a total shutdown imposed in the district by two Kuki-Zo groups over alleged sexual harassment of a minor girl.
Kuki Zo Village Volunteer (KZVV) and United Tribal Volunteer (UTV), the two Kuki bodies imposed the total shutdown in the jurisdiction of Tuibong-sub division from 5am on Wednesday, demanding justice after an 11-year-old minor girl was allegedly sexually harassed by a shopkeeper at Tuibong bazaar on October 11 when she went to buy a hairband there.
The officer-in-charge of the Churachandpur Women Police Station told the media on Wednesday that a POCSO case was registered after the family members of the girl lodged a complaint on October 21.
“The next day (October 22), the accused surrendered himself at the police station, and he accepted the allegation during preliminary interrogation. The women police, Churachandpur, has started the process to submit the chargesheet within one week,” the officer said.
Protestors blocked Tiddim Road, Churachandpur, at Tuibong Bazaar by burning tyres and other objects and allegedly dismantled the shop of the accused and set it on fire.
Churachandpur SDPO, Prakhar Pandey appealed to the public not to spread wrong information regarding the incident that could escalate tension and to cooperate with police.
Churachandpur district magistrate, Dharun Kumar, issued a fresh prohibitory order on Wednesday, after receiving reports from the SP.
It said the fresh order is in addition to the curfew order imposed under Section 163 of BNSS, 2023, issued on September 29.
Manipur chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Wednesday rejected speculation about his resignation in his press interaction after his recent four-day visit to the national capital, which was his longest trip since the crisis in the state began on May 3, 2023.
Reports had surfaced regarding 19 MLAs submitting a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting Singh’s replacement.
A leaked portion of the letter, demanding a change in leadership in Manipur, went viral on social media. The six-page letter, signed by Speaker Th. Satyabrata and ministers Th. Biswajit and Y. Khemchand, said, “At this juncture, the people of Manipur are raising questions, particularly to the BJP-led government, as to why peace and normalcy cannot be restored, and why the plight of the people has not yet been alleviated.”
It also mentioned that the public is questioning whether the MLAs should resign if a solution is not found soon.
“We, as fervent supporters of the BJP and having won the mandate of the people, feel we have a responsibility to save Manipur, along with saving the BJP from downfall in the state,” the letter said.
Asked about this letter, Singh said, “That is not my concern. In a democracy, any citizen has the right to voice their opinion. As for my resignation, it is just a rumour. People acknowledge what we are doing.”
Regarding the recent meeting between legislators from the Meetei, Kuki, and Naga communities in Delhi, Biren refrained from commenting, stating that the Press Information Bureau (PIB) release represented the official stance.
He highlighted the efforts of both the central and state governments in restoring peace and development in Manipur and announced that several stalled projects related to national highways in the state had received clearance.
He further announced financial relief of ₹1,000 per person for all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state and assured that salaries and pensions for state employees would be disbursed before October 31.