The Assam Rifles has registered a sedition and defamation case against the chief of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an influential civil society group in Manipur’s capital. A highly-placed Defence source said a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against COCOMI on July 10, after the outfit gave a call to people “not to surrender weapons.”
Meanwhile, officials from various security agencies who have been monitoring the situation in the restive northeastern State said the ethnic violence that erupted on May 3 and has left over 160 dead has been largely fuelled by rumours and fake news. Regarding the FIR, a police officer confirmed, “We have registered an FIR against COCOMI against Jitendra Ningomba, convener of COCOMI, at Churachandpur police station, under Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), pertaining to sedition; Section 153 A IPC, promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.”
Sources alleged that many women protestors were assaulted by the Army in Moirang of Bishnupur on June 30. The Army, however, has denied the allegation.
In a memorandum to the Union Home Minister on June 4, COCOMI had demanded that the Assam Rifles be replaced with any other Central Armed Police Force, adding that local youths were not willing to surrender arms.