Manipur Police add 477 vehicles to bolster security response

Guwahati: In ethnic violence riddled Manipur, Police have inducted 477 new vehicles, including bulletproof vehicles, under the Centre’s police modernisation scheme to strengthen mobility, operational preparedness and security response across the state.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh flagged off 477 newly acquired vehicles of Manipur Police at the 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles Parade Ground, Imphal, under the “Assistance to States for Modernisation of Police” scheme.

The Chief Minister said the large number of vehicles flagged off marked another important day in the history of Manipur. He stated that the vehicles would greatly help in improving police infrastructure in the hill districts and strengthen emergency response capabilities across the state.


A total of 477 vehicles were flagged off including 100 Hero motorcycles, 39 Bolero B6 vehicles, 50 Bolero Neo vehicles, 74 Tata Yodha vehicles, 10 Mine Protected Vehicles, 20 Tata Truck vehicles, 30 Tata 407 vehicles, 20 Mahindra buses, 60 Bulletproof Rakshak vehicles, 19 Water Tankers, 50 Bolero Camper vehicles and 5 HMR vehicles.

The Chief Minister said that without strengthening the police force, no state or country could maintain peace and security. Referring to the unfortunate incidents which began on May 3, 2023, he said Manipur Police had carried out major responsibilities with dedication and courage, often risking their own lives while working to prevent conflict and maintain peace.

Singh further informed that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, had approved Rs. 196.61 crore on October 31, 2025, for police modernisation initiatives in the state. He said the Government is committed to strengthen the police department and modernise policing infrastructure.

He also mentioned that the present Government has increased the ration money of police personnel, which had remained unchanged for a long time, and has also increased uniform allowances. He also lauded the Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Singh and his team for taking up initiative for police modernisation
He expressed his gratitude to the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB and other agencies for their continued support in maintaining law and order in the state.

Appealing to the public to discourage violence and provocative activities during agitations and rallies, the Chief Minister urged all sections to support peace and harmony in the state.

Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said the programme reflected the far-sighted vision of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and the leadership of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah towards strengthening police and security forces across the country.

He stated that the newly acquired vehicles would significantly improve mobility, efficiency and response capability of Manipur Police during emergencies and other important situations.

The Home Minister stressed the importance of maintaining strong public-police relations and called upon police personnel to remain public-friendly. He said strengthening intelligence gathering and cooperation from the public would help authorities anticipate and prevent incidents in advance.

Rajiv Singh highlighted the need for police modernisation and strengthening infrastructure, particularly in the hill districts of the State. He said the newly acquired vehicles would improve operational efficiency and mobility of the police force. He further informed that 54 per cent of the vehicles would be allocated to the hill districts, while 46 per cent would be deployed in the valley districts.

The DGP highlighted several achievements of Manipur Police, stating that with the establishment of the Anti-Extortion Cell, 1,000 persons had been arrested so far. He also informed that more than 700 persons had been arrested and 600 cases registered under the anti-drug campaign launched by the state government.
He further stated that Manipur Police had signed an MoU with the National Security Guard (NSG) for specialised training programmes for police personnel.

Stressing the importance of public cooperation and intelligence gathering, he said strengthening intelligence networks and enhancing coordination with the public would help improve policing and emergency response across the state.

Hostage crisis

Hundreds of Nagas on Monday staged a protest rally in Manipur’s capital Imphal, demanding the immediate release of six civilians allegedly held hostage by suspected Kuki militants.

Organised by the Naga People’s Union Imphal, the rally, joined by several members of the Meitei community, began from the Tribal Market area in Imphal East district and headed towards the chief minister’s bungalow.

The protesters were stopped by a large contingent of security personnel near the Palace Gate, around 200 metres from the chief minister’s residence, after marching nearly 300 metres, officials said.

A delegation of the union was, however, allowed to go and submit a memorandum to Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh.

The memorandum sought the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen from the council of ministers, alleging that her husband heads the militant outfit, Kuki National Front (Presidential), and was responsible for the abduction.

Due to the hostage crisis Manipur is reeling under bandhs and economic blockades.Both Naga and Kuki dominated areas are witnessing economic blockade and bandhs. Abductions happened following the incident on May 13 when unknown armed miscreants had ambushed civilian vehicles resulting in the deaths of three civilians and injuring four others.

The apex body of Nagas in Manipur, the United Naga Council (UNC), claims that six males are in captivity of Kuki groups. Kuki groups claim that 14 people of their community are missing and are in captivity of Naga groups.

According to the state Home Department, initial reports suggested that more than 38 people had gone missing following the violence. However, authorities later stated that 32 individuals had since returned.

Perishable food items, particularly onion and potatoes, transported from other parts of the country, have begun to rot due to the ongoing shutdowns in Manipur. Around 2000 trucks are stranded on National highway-2.

It nearly 10 days these commodities have been stranded along the National Highway-2 in Manipur and Nagaland due to a shutdown in Kangpokpi district, called by Kuki Inpi Manipur, an apex body of the Kuki community, the United Naga Council in Manipur has clamped announced an inter-district economic blockade along the national highway in Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur.

Meanwhile, onions were being sold at Rs 60 per kilogram while potatoes were being sold at Rs 25 per kilogram in Imphal market.