A team of NIA assisted by central forces apprehended three cadres of Pambei-led UNLF including its chief of army, chief of intelligence on Wednesday and airlifted to Delhi on the same day.
The names of three cadres of Pambei-led UNLF are Chief of Army Thokchom Thoiba alias Sidabamapu of Mayang Imphal; chief of intelligence, Laimayum Ingba of Bamon Leikai and Sanakhomba of New Checkon, Imphal East.
It is reported that they were apprehended from Koirengei area, Imphal East at around 8.30 am wherein Sanakhomba was the driver.
Later, around 1.53 pm of the same day, the three cadres were airlifted to Delhi from Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in a dedicated flight of the Indian Air Force.
To avoid unwanted incidents and as preventive measures, a large number of central forces including state forces with Casspir, bullet proof vehicles with heavy arms were deployed at various parts of Imphal city.
Pambei-led UNLF recently signed a ceasefire agreement with the state and central government.
Meanwhile, Federation of Civil Society Organisation (FOCS), Universal Mothers’ Organisation (UMO), Manipur Women’s Federation (MWF), Indigenous People’s Organisation (IPOM), Manipur Keithel Nupi Marup (MKNM), Yelhoumi Kanba Lup (YEMKAL) and World Meetei Organisation (WMO) and a students organisation held a press conference in connection with the incident at DMU campus on Wednesday evening.
During the press conference, FOCS president Th Manihar expressed shock that security forces along with NIA detained leaders of Pambei-led UNLF that recently signed a peace agreement with the state and central government.
What is the hidden agenda of the central government, are they going to root out all the Meitei insurgents in the name of signing peace agreements, he questioned.
Under which law of the country the security forces detained the cadres of the group that had signed peace agreement with both the governments, he further questioned.
He said the central government should release the three cadres unconditionally by 12 noon of Thursday or that the people of Manipur are ready to launch intensified forms of agitations if the central government failed to meet the demand.
General secretary of Manipur Keithel Nupi Marup (MKNM), Laishram Mema, said if the three cadres were detained and airlifted to Delhi without the knowledge of CM Biren Singh, then he should contact the central government immediately and should press for unconditional release of the three cadres.
If the demands are not fulfilled, then intensified forms of agitation including boycott of Lok Sabha election might be initiated, she cautioned.
