With police officers facing extortion in Churachandpur, experts warn that law enforcement itself risks collapse if armed groups remain unchecked.
BY PC Bureau
October 5, 2025: The extortion racket in Manipur has reached such alarming stage that even police officers are now facing demands from armed groups.
An official order issued by the Superintendent of Police, Churachandpur district, has confirmed that certain illegal organizations have been demanding money from police personnel. The order, dated October 3, directed the rank and file of the district police to abstain from yielding to such demands and instructed aggrieved personnel to report directly to the SP’s office in case of any exigency.
The circular, signed by SP Prakhar Pandey, IPS, has been circulated across all police units in Churachandpur, with copies sent to senior officers, sub-divisional police officers, and notice boards across stations.
Reacting strongly to the revelation, COCOMI convenor Khuraijam Athouba posted on X that this incident reflects the depth of the crisis in Manipur.
“No surprise, the Indian Government continues to maintain close ties with many of these extortionist groups who now dare to issue demands even to local police personnel,” Athouba wrote.
He drew attention to the fact that this is not an isolated case.
“This is not the first time such an incident has occurred; a similar notice was issued earlier in Kangpokpi, and now it is happening again in Churachandpur (CCpur). If these armed terror groups can openly extort from the very police who are meant to protect civilians from such crimes, one can only imagine the plight and suffering of ordinary people.”
READ: Digital Uprising: Ladakh Activists Turn Hashtags into Protest Weapons
Athouba described the situation as “a matter of grave concern,” accusing the government of creating conditions where law enforcers themselves are left vulnerable.
“This calls for urgent justice for the CCpur police, who have themselves become victims of the Indian Government’s failed and complicit policy,” he said.
He further alleged that New Delhi’s approach has emboldened violent actors rather than confronting them.
Extortion in Manipur: A Systemic Crisis
Extortion has long been a pervasive problem in Manipur, cutting across both the valley and the hills. In Imphal, shopkeepers, contractors, government employees, and even rickshaw drivers frequently report being forced to pay “taxes” to multiple underground groups. These illegal levies are often collected under the threat of violence, disrupting economic activity and spreading fear across the capital.
READ: Defiant Wangchuk Demands Judicial Probe in Ladakh Firing
In the hill districts, including Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Ukhrul, the situation is equally grim. Various armed groups are known to demand money from truckers on highways, from civil servants posted in remote areas, and from small businesses struggling to survive. The practice is so entrenched that locals say extortion has become “parallel governance,” where underground outfits dictate terms openly and sometimes maintain their own revenue collection systems.
Government development projects are also not spared. Contractors often factor in “extortion costs” as part of their budgets, with funds siphoned off before they can reach the intended beneficiaries. This has worsened public infrastructure and eroded trust in governance.
What makes the Churachandpur case especially alarming is that extortion demands have now reached the police force itself — the very institution tasked with combating these illegal networks. Security experts warn that if law enforcement agencies are compromised through coercion, the entire framework of governance and public safety risks collapse.
The incident has reignited concerns over the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Manipur, where allegations of government inaction and tacit appeasement of armed groups have raised serious questions about security, governance, and public safety.
