UKHRUL: The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has condemned what it described as a midnight raid by personnel of the CRPF’s CoBRA unit on the residence of its Joint Secretary, Pu Douminlal Haokip, at Bongphajol in Kangpokpi district.
In a statement, the council said the incident occurred at around 2:30 a.m. on July 12 while Haokip, who also serves as Secretary (Organisation) of the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), was in Churachandpur attending meetings of the KZC and KIM along with the KIM president.
According to the KZC, security personnel entered and searched the residence without producing a search warrant. It alleged that the operation was carried out while the family was asleep, causing fear and distress, particularly among women and children.
The council maintained that Haokip is a respected civil society leader and said that if authorities had grounds to conduct a search, it should have been done by following due legal procedures, including obtaining the necessary authorisation.
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Calling the operation “high-handed,” the KZC urged the concerned authorities to clarify the legal basis of the search and institute an impartial inquiry into the conduct of the personnel involved. It further stressed that security operations should be carried out within the framework of the law while respecting the rights and dignity of citizens.
The KZC also expressed solidarity with Haokip and his family and appealed to security forces to exercise professionalism, restraint and adherence to due process during future operations.
