Manipur violence: Srinagar’s top cop is called back to the state as tensions rise
On Tuesday, a new round of violence erupted in Manipur following the killing of two Meitei students who had gone missing in July.
Following the murders of two students in Manipur, the union home ministry recalled top Srinagar police official Rakesh Balwal to the northeastern state on Thursday. This comes about a month after the home ministry requested additional officials in Manipur due to the current state of law and order.
The Cabinet Appointments Committee has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the premature repatriation of Shri Rakesh Balwal, IPS from the AGMUT cadre to the Manipur cadre,” according to a notification.
Notably, the IPS officer is from the Manipur cadre and is stationed in Jammu and Kashmir. He was appointed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Srinagar in 2021. He formerly served as Superintendent of Police at the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a four-year tenure in 2018. Balwal was a member of the team that investigated the Pulwama terror incident in 2019.
In Manipur, two students were slain.
On Tuesday, a new round of violence erupted in Manipur following the killing of two Meitei students who had gone missing in July. The photographs of the two pupils went popular on social media shortly after mobile internet capabilities were restored.
According to the preliminary investigation, the couple eloped on July 6 but were caught in a region occupied by the Kuki community while fleeing, following which they were allegedly abducted and murdered, according to Manipur police. The investigation has now been turned over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Following this incident, students and citizens took to the streets to protest, clashing with police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) members. According to reports, 25 to 30 demonstrators were injured.
