Guns pointed at mobile phones? Manipur Police’s “arrest” and “seizures” raise serious questions about their priorities. When will they focus on real justice instead of embarrassing photo-ops?
By PC Bureau
Manipur Police’s Bizarre Bravery Displays: Armed to the Teeth, Seizing Nothing but Mobile Phones
Manipur Police’s social media team appears to be on a mission—not to showcase serious law enforcement victories, but to create theatrical displays of their so-called “bravery.” Time and again, they post triumphant photos of five to six heavily armed personnel posing with a captive—a lone, unarmed individual surrounded by assault rifles. And what do these well-equipped officers recover from these dangerous “extortionists” and “insurgents”? A single mobile phone. Sometimes, if they hit the jackpot, an Aadhaar card.
This pattern has become painfully predictable. The police arrest an alleged militant or extortionist, pose in a dramatic tableau with weapons menacingly pointed at the table before them, and declare victory. Their evidence? A handset and a SIM card.
On 18.02.2025, Security Forces arrested 01(one) active cadre of PREPAK(PRO) from Uripok Khumanthem Leikai under Imphal-PS, Imphal West District namely, Salam Sitoljit Singh @ Seventy @ Sevenkumar (36). He is involved in extortion activities from general public. From his… pic.twitter.com/y7xl4pMvBT
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) February 19, 2025
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Consider the recent press releases by Manipur Police:
• On February 18, 2025, a PREPAK(PRO) cadre, Salam Sitoljit Singh, was arrested. Seized from him? One mobile phone.
• The same day, another PREPAK(PRO) cadre, Thokchom Sanathoi Singh, was picked up. His inventory? One mobile phone, an Airtel SIM card, and an Aadhaar card.
• Yet another RPF/PLA cadre, Waikhom Ibungo Meitei, was arrested with an astonishing haul: two mobile phones and a two-wheeler.
On 17.02.2025, Security Forces arrested 01(one) cadre of PLA from Leimaram Canal area under Nambol-PS, Bishnupur District namely, Thokchom Ajit Singh @ Nanao (40). From his possession, 01(one) Mobile Phone with Jio SIM was seized. pic.twitter.com/22gIJ64g7n
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) February 19, 2025
• The day before, a PLA cadre, Thokchom Ajit Singh, was apprehended. The prized recovery? One mobile phone with a Jio SIM.
• On February 15, another PREPAK(PRO) operative, Yumlembam Arunkumar Singh, was caught. His possessions? A mobile phone, an Airtel SIM, and, yes, another Aadhaar card.
This begs the question: Are mobile phones now classified as “dangerous weapons” in Manipur? The absurdity of these displays is glaring, and yet the police persist in their public relations circus.
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Arresting insurgents and extortionists is necessary. No one disputes that. But why turn minor arrests into elaborate photo-ops when the seized items barely qualify as incriminating evidence? Why not channel the same energy into catching the real perpetrators? Why not defang the menacing cadres of Arambai Tenggol dictating the lives of the valley , or Kuki militants groups’ sway over lives in the hills.
Where is the same aggression when it comes to arresting those responsible for major crimes—the kidnapping of senior journalist Yambem Laba at gunpoint? What about those involved in the mass rapes and murders of innocent civilians during the ongoing conflict? Why hasn’t the police force trained their firepower on those orchestrating large-scale violence instead of parading petty operatives in a circus of self-congratulatory arrests?
These PR stunts reek of a desperate attempt to maintain an illusion of control. Manipur’s people deserve real justice, not theatrics. Until the police start going after the masterminds and not just mobile phone-carrying foot soldiers, their “bravery” will remain nothing more than a farcical performance.
