Manipur: NIA Arrests Suspect For Conspiring With Terrorists To Use Ethnic Unrest

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained a terror suspect from Manipur's Churachandpur over his alleged involvement in an international conspiracy case with terrorist leaders from Bangladesh and Myanmar. The suspect is now being brought to Delhi for interrogation.

The anti-terror agency stated that the defendant and his associates in Myanmar and Bangladesh sought to exploit the crisis in Manipur.

The NIA in a post on X (formerly Twitter) said "The terror accused, Seiminlun Gangte, is instrumental in a "conspiracy with Myanmar- and Bangladesh-based leadership of terror outfits to wage war against India by exploiting the ethnic unrest in Manipur."

A source from the police told NDTV, Gangte is the primary suspect in the car bomb explosion in Manipur's Kwakta on June 22 that resulted in a fatality. An explosion occurred from a Scorpio SUV parked near a small bridge on the same day, representing a significant increase in violent activity. The nature of the attack suggested it was carried out by trained terrorists, sources had previously stated.

Around 25 Kuki rebel factions, primarily located in Churachandpur, have inked a three-way suspension of operations (SoO) pact with the national and state authorities as well as the armed forces. Under this agreement, the rebels are expected to remain in specified encampments and their firearms should be kept in supervised storage units. Nevertheless, there are claims that some rebels from factions who have signed the SoO pact have been involved in the violent conflict in Manipur.

The NIA had filed this case on its own in July. "Investigation... revealed that Myanmar and Bangladesh-based militant groups have entered into a conspiracy with a section of militant leaders in India to indulge in incidents of violence with an intention to drive a wedge between different ethnic groups and to wage war against the government of India," the NIA said in the statement today.