GUWAHATI: Manipur Governor has authorised all District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates and all Executive Magistrates/ Special Executive Magistrates to Shoot at sight if required to maintain law and order situation in the violent bound Manipur.
Shoot-at-sight orders are issued as the state has been witnessing a series of violent protests since yesterday after the violence started at ATSUM’s (All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur) solidarity march protest against the Meitei’s demand for inclusion in Scheduled Tribe (ST) list..
The Manipur government has authorised all District Magistrates, Sub- Divisional Magistrates and all Executive Magistrates/ Special Executive Magistrates to issue Shoot at sight orders in extreme cases whereby all forms of persuasion, warning, and reasonable force had been exhausted to control law and order situations.
The order issued by the Home Department stated, “In view of the prevailing law and order situation following the unwanted incidents that occurred at the Tribal Solidarity March 2023 held on May 3, 2023, and in order to maintain public order and tranquillity in the State, the Governor of Manipur has authorized all District Magistrates, Sub- Divisional Magistrates and all Executive Magistrates/ Special Executive Magistrates detailed by the District Magistrates concerned to issue Shoot at sight orders in extreme cases whereby all forms of persuasion, warning, reasonable force, etc. had been exhausted under the provisions of law under CrPC, 1973 and the situation could not be controlled."
Nearly 11 civilians have been reported injured while 2 others have succumbed to bullet injuries at Saikul under Kangpokpi district in Manipur on May 3.
The situation turned worst on Wednesday night after clashes broke out in several parts of Manipur’s hill districts.
Media reported that five companies of the RAF have been airlifted to Imphal while 15 other general duty companies have been asked to be in a state of readiness for deployment to the state. About 15 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are already available in Manipur for deployment, the sources said.
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