Manipur violence: Newly formed outfit suspected behind the killing of Manipur police officer

The role of a newly set up group christened as People’s Protection Force (PPF) is suspected behind the killing of
sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Chingtham Anand Kumar in Moreh. The sources, who don’t want to be named, said the shooting of the police officer was executed under the supervision of a commander of a Kuki militant outfit currently under the Suspension of Operation (SoO), a tripartite ceasefire agreement with the state government and the Centre.

The source revealed that three days ahead of the sniper ambush that killed SDPO Anand, functionaries of PPF and an apex Kuki civil body of Tengnoupal district engaged a heated argument with the deceased police officer over why the police personnel were clearing the Eastern Shine school ground.


The deceased SDPO, along with 3rd Indian Reserve Battalion Commandant, H Balram and Superintendent of Police (railways and special commandos), Th. Krishnatombi Singh were supervising the clearance work of the school ground that started on October 26 to prepare for a helipad.

The source further revealed that miscreants at Moreh are extorting money from the residents of Moreh to buy ammunition, sophisticated weapons, particularly snipers, and also to bring in master trainers from Myanmar into Indian soil to train Chin-Kuki youths as PPF volunteers.

It also alleged that sophisticated weapons like snipers, assault rifles, rocket propellers, and explosives were recently purchased from Thailand and China.

Unprecedented ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, following a tribal solidarity rally that turned violent in Churachandpur district, leading to retaliatory violence between Chin-Kuki-Zo and the Meitei communities across the state.