Centre to deploy additional 5,000 paramilitary personnel in Manipur, NIA takes over three cases

New Delhi: Amid spiralling violence in Manipur, the Narendra Modi government has decided to deploy an additional around 5,000 paramilitary personnel to the strife-torn state even as Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday once again reviewed the security situation there.

The NIA also took over three cases -- murder of a woman in Jiribam by fully armed militants, attack on a CRPF post in Jakuradhor Karong and Borobekra police station and burning of houses and killing of civilian at Borobekra -- from Manipur police, which had initially registered the cases between November 8 and 11.

For the second consecutive day, sources said, Shah reviewed the security scenario and troop deployment in the north-eastern state while directing top officials to focus on restoring peace and order. Shah was briefed about various developments.

Officials said the immediate focus is on restoring peace and order in the state, which has been witnessing ethnic violence since May 3 last year over differences between Meitei and Kuki communities over granting Scheduled Tribes status to the former.

With violent incidents continuing, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also decided to send an additional 50 companies, which comprises around 5,000 personnel, to Manipur to tackle the "challenging" situation in Manipur.

These 50 companies will be drawn from CRPF (35) and BSF (15). With this, there will be 218 companies or around 21,800 paramilitary personnel in Manipur.

On November 12, the MHA had sent 20 companies -- 15 CRPF and 5 BSF -- comprising around 2,000 personnel.

CRPF Director General (CRPF) Anish Dayal was rushed to Imphal on Sunday and he is camping in the state.

On Monday, a group of people under the aegis of Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) locked the doors of several government offices in Imphal West district as part of a protest against the recent killings of civilians in Jiribam.