Manipur govt restores mobile internet in 5 valley districts as situation improves further

Imphal, June 13 With the further improvement of the situation in Manipur, the state government on Friday restored mobile internet and data services in five valley districts, an official said.

Commissioner (Home) N. Ashok Kumar in an order said that in view of overall improvement of law and order in the five districts and the inconveniences faced by the general public during such period of suspension of internet services, the state government has decided to lift any form of internet suspension in the territorial jurisdictions of these districts. The five Imphal valley districts include Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching.

On June 10, the district administrations of five valley districts relaxed the indefinite curfew from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Violent protests broke out on the night of June 7 in five valley districts following the arrest of Meitei radical outfit Arambai Tenggol leader Ashem Kanan Singh (46) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

To control the situation, the state government banned mobile internet and data services on June 7 midnight for five days and imposed an indefinite curfew in five Imphal valley districts, inhabited by the people of the Meitei community.

A large contingent of Central and state forces led by senior officials had been deployed in the five districts, especially in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, to bring the situation under control.

Meanwhile, the Arambai Tenggol also on June 10 announced that it relaxed its 10-day Manipur shutdown call given from June 8 to protest the arrest of a senior leader of the group, as well as against the lodging of cases by security agencies. A spokesman of the outfit said that they relaxed the shutdown, but protests would continue in a democratic manner.

Manipur Police earlier said that Arambai Tenggol leader Ashem Kanan Singh was arrested by the CBI in Imphal and taken to Guwahati. A Manipur Police statement said that Singh was a Head Constable in Manipur Police till he was terminated from service on March 3 this year for his involvement in various criminal activities, including cross-border smuggling of arms. He was arrested for his criminal activities, which include several acts of a grave nature and involvement in unlawful activities and criminal cases registered against him, the statement said.

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