UKHRUL, NOV 21: Manipur Police and the office of Rajya Sabha MP and titular Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba have issued sharply different accounts of an incident at the Palace complex on Wednesday, following a protest against the Sangai Festival 2025.
In a complaint to the Governor, the MP alleged that IGP (Zone-I) Themthing Ngashangva barged into the MP’s residential compound around 1:30 pm and threatened security personnel. The letter accused the officer of claiming the MP was sheltering internally displaced persons and warned that an FIR would be filed against the guards. It also said the Palace complex is a sacred space and urged action against the officer.
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Manipur Police, however, said the officer never entered the Palace grounds.
According to the police statement, the confrontation began when a group of 50–60 COCOMI volunteers marched from Govindajee Crossing toward Hapta Kangjeibung, defying prohibitory orders issued by the District Magistrate, Imphal East. Police said teams, including women personnel, tried repeatedly to stop the group, but protestors allegedly threw water bottles and placards. A woman protestor is accused of assaulting the IGP and hurling racial slurs while he was overseeing security.
The police said the crowd then moved toward the Palace, where the MP’s house guards allowed them inside, making it difficult for police to contain the situation. The IGP approached the gate to question the guards, but “did not enter the premises,” the statement said.
A case has been registered at Porompat Police Station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for assault on a public servant, obstruction of duty, breaching barricades, use of racial slurs and unlawful entry toward a protected area. Police are reviewing video footage to identify the woman involved in the alleged assault.
Manipur Police maintained that personnel used only “minimum force” and acted with restraint.