The recent arrest reveals how insurgents are both perpetrators and self-appointed enforcers—blurring lines between militancy and criminality in Manipur.
BY PC Bureau
A day before the banned National Revolutionary Front Manipur (NRFM) claimed it had punished two extortionists posing as its members, Manipur Police exposed the outfit’s own deep involvement in organized crime by arresting one of its active cadres on July 16.
The arrested militant, Sorokhaibam Pari Singh alias Ibungo (26), a resident of Senjam Chirang Mayai Leikai in Imphal West, was picked up from Koirengei Awang Potshangbam Road near Keikol Police Post in Imphal East under Heingang Police Station jurisdiction. According to police, he was involved in kidnapping for ransom, transport of arms and ammunition, and movement of NRFM cadres across the valley. One mobile phone and a wallet were recovered from him.
A day later, the NRFM publicly took responsibility for the July 14 shootout between Sawombung and Phaknung, where the group claimed to have targeted two men—Soram Girish (26) and Kumam Jemelia (25)—for using forged NRFM letterheads to extort money from traders and government employees. In that attack, Girish was shot in the leg, and Jemelia was beaten. Both were hospitalized at RIMS; Jemelia has been discharged while Girish is still undergoing treatment.
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The outfit’s attempt to present itself as a moral authority policing fake extortionists rang hollow in light of the police arrest the very next day, revealing NRFM’s continued reliance on violence, coercion, and extortion.
On 16.07.2025, Manipur Police arrested 01 (one) active cadre of NRFM from Koirengei Awang Potshangbam Road near Keikol Police Post under Heingang-PS, Imphal East district, namely, Sorokhaibam Pari Singh @ Ibungo (26) of Senjam Chirang Mayai Leikai under Sekmai-PS, Imphal West… pic.twitter.com/44nQja2bbv
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) July 17, 2025
The shootout took place just two days after a rare sit-in protest by hundreds of traders from Khuman Lampak and Chingmeirong, two of Imphal’s busiest commercial zones. The protestors voiced anger over unchecked extortion by insurgent groups, alleging that demands often range from ₹10,000 to ₹5 lakh based on the size of businesses. The demonstration underscored rising public frustration with law enforcement’s inability to protect civilians from militant threats.
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NRFM’s justification for the shooting reignited debate over the blurring line between militancy and vigilantism in Manipur. Once centered on separatist ideology, groups like NRFM now appear to be positioning themselves as enforcers—deciding who gets to extort and who doesn’t—while continuing their own rackets behind the scenes.
Founded in the early 2000s, NRFM is a Meitei insurgent outfit seeking an independent Manipur. Though smaller than the UNLF or PREPAK, it remains active through targeted violence, extortion, and underground propaganda. Despite crackdowns and the elimination of senior leaders, the group’s operatives remain functional in Imphal East and Thoubal districts.
The Manipur Police have vowed to intensify efforts to dismantle the group’s network, even as the broader struggle against entrenched insurgency across the state remains a complex and ongoing challenge.
