New Delhi: The Manipur government has announced the establishment of a dedicated anti-extortion cell under the Home Department. This comes nearly two years after the ethnic conflict first began in the state and as extortion by armed groups continues unabated across the Imphal Valley.
In a statement Monday, Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh acknowledged that various individuals, including government officials, have received extortion threats over the phone or through messages and letters from “unlawful organisations”.
According to data from Manipur Police, more than 200 people, largely from the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley, have been arrested in cases of extortion between in the last 6 months.
“These activities pose a significant threat to the law and order situation in the state,” Singh said in a statement.
Singh said the anti-extortion cell aims to create an “efficient and robust response mechanism to address demands and extortion-related activities, ensuring the safety and security of the public”.
The unit will include representatives from the Manipur Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), the Assam Rifles and the Indian Army, the statement said.
A source in the Manipur Police said that there had been a concerning rise in the recruitment of civilians, especially youth, into armed groups as “volunteers” and “fighters”, who then indulge in extortion.
According to the source, the insurgent groups operate within the Imphal Valley on the pretext of “protecting” the community from “Kuki militants”.
“These groups are extorting money not just from businessmen but also politicians, to fund the fight against the enemy community. Those unable to give money are asked to send young men to join the fight as volunteers.”
“They threaten people including politicians by sending letters, making calls, or directly visiting their homes or offices with their weapons. it has become a menace,” the source added.
Also Read: Extortion cases rise again in Imphal; businessmen, govt employees, farmers queue up for arms licence
‘Need for crackdown’
While incidents of extortion had dropped significantly before the conflict began on 3 May 2023, they have now surpassed levels seen during the peak of insurgency in the state (1990s-early 2000s), the Manipur Police source quoted above said.
This has led to a surge in applications for arms licenses among businessmen, government employees, contractors, and even farmers, among both Meitei and Meitei Pangal (Muslims) communities who live in the valley, intelligence sources have told ThePrint.
Speaking to ThePrint, a senior Manipur Police officer said that, with the anti-extortion cell, there is an attempt to streamline the complaint process and make it more robust.
“Some people are hesitant to visit police stations as they fear being identified. Having a helpline allows them to call and file a complaint while ensuring their identity remains confidential,” the officer said. “This menace needs to be addressed, but we also require cooperation from the public and encourage them to come forward.”
In his statement, the Manipur chief secretary also appealed to the public to report such incidents. “Upon receiving a report, the cell will coordinate with the relevant police stations to take appropriate action. The public is also advised to avoid visiting unsafe locations,” the statement said.
It added, “The Government of Manipur seeks the full cooperation of its citizens in combating these unlawful activities and remains committed to safeguarding everyone from such disturbing demands and extortions.”
‘Money being used to exacerbate unrest’
In July 2023, ThePrint reported that, as the ethnic violence in Manipur raged on, cadres of the insurgent group United National Liberation Front (UNLF) operating in the Imphal Valley, reportedly collected lakhs as “donations” from several politicians, according to documents recovered as ‘digital evidence’, now part of a chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs Mayanglambam Rameshwar Singh, Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Kongkham Robindro Singh, the party’s state general secretary G.S. Premananda Meetei, Manipur Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, and Congress MLA Keisham Meghachandra Singh were among those targeted.
An investigation into the activities of the UNLF also revealed that the insurgent group spent Rs 13 crore in 2023 on training cadres, purchasing uniforms, travelling to Myanmar, acquiring arms, including INSAS rifles and light machine guns, and procuring drones.
ThePrint further reported that according to the ED probe into a money-laundering case involving UNLF cadres operating in the Manipur valley, the insurgent group extorted crores from schools, colleges, training institutes, hospitals and individuals, including serving politicians, under the guise of “donations”. It had a budget of Rs 54 crore for its operations.
ED said that this money was used to “exacerbate the ethnic unrest in Manipur”.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)