The Manipur police have registered a zero FIR against a Kuki-Zo militant outfit which is under suspension of operation following a complaint from the state’s land resources department on Monday night.

The FIR was registered by the Imphal police station against the Kukki National Front-Military Council under multiple sections of the IPC and section 26 of the Indian Forests Act on a one-page complaint lodged by M. Kamei, under secretary, land resources, during the day, requesting registration of an FIR.

The IPC sections deal with criminal conspiracy; promoting enmity between different groups; deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class while the Forest Act section deals with any person making fresh clearing on prohibited land.

In his complaint, Kamei had enclosed a photograph doing the round of social media regarding the erection of a gate bearing the words “Kuki National Front-Military Council” with the name of the site as “Thangting” but the location appears to be “Thangjing Ching”.

He then cites a forest and environment order of February 19, 2024, that states “present-day Thangjing hill range falls within the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forests” notified on September 19, 1966, under section 290 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.

Kamei then said Thangjing (Thang Ching) is a hill of historical importance and the state’s art and culture department had declared it a protected site under section 4 of the Manipur Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1976.

The government official then contends that the erection of the gate bearing the words Kuki National Front–Military Council at the site/location mentioned as Thangting “indicates unauthorised changing of original name of Thangjing (Thang Ching), it is a violation of the provision of the Manipur Names of Places Act, 2004 and section 4 of the Manipur Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1976. He wanted registration of the zero FIR because Thangjing Hill range falls under the Henglep police station.

The said PS falls under the Kuki-Zo majority Churachandpur district. Imphal police station is in the Meitei-majority Imphal West district.

Neither Kuki-Zos nor Meiteis can venture into each other’s territory because of safety issues triggered by the ongoing ethnic conflict which has claimed the lives of at least 227 and displaced over 67,000.

The police registered the FIR under multiple sections of the IPC and the Forest Act and the case “is being” transferred to Khoupum PS under Kuki-Zo majority Churchandpur district in the hills.

Imphal police station is in the Meitei-majority
valley district. Neither Kuki-Zos nor Meiteis can venture into each other’s territory because of safety issues triggered by the ongoing ethnic conflict.

Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh in a post on Monday night revealed the BJP-led state government’s decision to take action in connection with the development which was doing the rounds of social media.