Assam Rifles files sedition case against Manipur civil society body

Imphal, July 24 (IANS) The Assam Rifles has registered a sedition and defamation case against the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a civil society body of the state's Meitei community, officials said on Monday.

The Assam Rifles lodged an FIR in the Churachandpur police station, after the COCOMI allegedly asked people "not to surrender weapons" for their safety and security.

According to the officials in Imphal,  the FIR was filed recently under Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code, pertaining to sedition; Section 153 A IPC, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language.

After the widespreas ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, mobs and miscreants looted more than 4,000weapons and lakhs of ammunition from various police stations and outposts, reports have claimed.

During raids, the Army, Assam Rifles, various other central forces and Manipur Police have so far recovered around half of the looted arms and ammunition.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited Manipur for four days on May 29 to June 1, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and the Manipur Police have appealed to the people to deposit the looted arms warning them of legal actions.

In a recent memorandum to Shah the COCOMI, which was originally a part of the peace committee constituted by the Union Home Ministry headed by Governor Anusuiya Uikey in June, had demanded the replacement of the Assam Rifles with any other central armed police force.

Various civil society organisations have alleged that many women protesters were assaulted on different occasions by the Army and Assam Rifles.

Defence sources have however, denied the allegations.

The Army and Assam Rifles also claimed that the protesters on many occasions created obstacles in performing their duties and taking actions against the armed miscreants.