Imphal: Security forces arrested Akoijam Shankar Singha (47), an alleged cadre of the United National Liberation Front-Pambei (UNLF-P), from his residence in Assam’s Silchar.
Authorities said he was allegedly involved in extortion targeting freight trucks along National Highway-37 between Silchar and Imphal.
The arrest has drawn criticism from civil society organisations and the cadre’s family, who alleged procedural irregularities and warned that the action could affect ongoing peace negotiations.
The wife of the arrested cadre alleged that police forced her to sign documents stating that Shankar was taken into custody at 10:45 pm on August 7. She claimed he was actually detained earlier that morning at around 9:30 am near the Cachar Udarbond oil pump.
The family and local civil society groups, alleging irregularities in the police action, have demanded immediate administrative action against the district Superintendent of Police (SP).
Leaders and members of civil society organisations, including the COCOMI Women Wing, staged protests across Jiribam town on Saturday, demanding the release of the detained cadre.
The protesters urged the law enforcement authorities and the state administration to drop all charges against Shankar and release him unconditionally.
Local Meira Paibi Lups, the Jiribam Development Organization (JDO) and other civil society groups also called for a complete shutdown in Jiribam, which received support from larger civil society coalitions.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Civil Societies (FOCS) raised concerns over the impact of the arrest on the peace process.
Addressing media personnel at its Kabo Leikai office, FOCS Vice President Arambam Rabindra alleged that individuals covered by an ongoing peace agreement with the government were brought to the Jiribam Police Station under the pretext of holding a dialogue before being booked under criminal charges and detained.
FOCS warned that the detention of individuals covered by the government’s peace framework could seriously affect the peace process facilitated by the Government of India. It issued a three-day ultimatum for the unconditional release of all detained individuals.