Shah announces separate judicial, CBI probes into Manipur violence

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced a judicial probe into the month-long ethnic violence in Manipur by a retired High Court Chief Justice and a CBI investigation into six specific cases.

After a four-day visit to the strife-torn Manipur, the Home Minister said that a high-level peace committee headed by Governor Anusuiya Uikey would be formed and people from all sections and communities would be included in the committee.

"The judicial inquiry and the CBI probe into the six specific cases would be closely monitored by the central government," Shah told the media in Imphal.

He said that a joint security command headed by Chief Security Advisor to Manipur Kuldiep Singh (Retired IPS officer and former CRPF Chief) would be formed and it would impartially conduct all the security-related operations.

The Home Minister announced that a Joint Secretary and five director-level officers would be posted in Manipur by the central government to supervise to deal with all the issues and actions in the Manipur crisis.

The Centre would provide an additional 30,000 MT of rice besides taking all out efforts for uninterrupted supply of petrol, diesel, cooking gas, essentials, vegetables and all other required items.

Issuing a stern warning to the Kuki militants, who signed a Suspension of Operation agreement on August 22, 2008 with the government, the Home Minister said that the security forces would take strictest actions against the Kuki militants if they violate the provisions of the pact.

Initiative would be taken to set up a circuit bench of the Manipur High Court in the tribal dominated Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur districts for speedy trial of cases.

He announced that supply of essential items in hill areas would be ensured and helicopter services would be conducted for emergency needs in Churachandpur, Moreh and Kangpokpi districts.

The Union Home Minister, who arrived in violence-hit Manipur on Monday, visited Churachand Pur, Imphal East and Imphal West, Tengnoupal and Kangpokpi districts and held over two dozen meetings with Governor, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, top security officials, around 40 Civil Society Organisations, women and youths bodies, prominent tribal leaders, retired security officials, intellectuals.

Home Minister Shah, who also held an all-party meeting with 11 political parties in Imphal, directed heads of all security agencies to take stern and swift actions against armed miscreants to prevent violence and recover looted weapons to bring back normalcy in Manipur at the earliest.