Imphal: A total of 18 Kuki inmates lodged in Imphal East District’s Sajiwa Jail were shifted to Sapermeina Police Station in Manipur‘s Kangpokpi District, which is predominantly inhabited by Kuki-Zo communities.
The inmates, who are from six different districts of Manipur, are in good physical and mental health, according to official sources.
The Manipur government is taking this step to fulfill the demands of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), which has repeatedly demanded the transfer of Kuki-Zo inmates from Imphal Jail to Churachandpur District, which is also predominantly inhabited by these communities.
On Tuesday, the Deputy Commandant of A-Coy, 22 Assam Rifles LK Guresh handed over the 18 inmates from Sajiwa Jail, Imphal to the Officer-in-Charge of the Sapermeina PS L Kipgen.
These inmates are being transferred to a temporary prison set up by the state government on September 22, 2023 at the Border Security Force’s (BSF) Subsidiary Training Centre premises in Churachandpur District.
The premises covered by the Subsidiary Training Centre (STC) of Border Security Force (BSF), Ganpimul under the Churachandpur district has been declared as a ‘Temporary Prison’ under Sub-Section (1) of Section 3 of the Prisoners Act, 1994.
The oldest inmate is 56 years old, and the youngest is 23 years old. The inmates who were transferred from Imphal Jail to Sapermei PS are from the districts of Imphal East, Churachandpur, Pherzawl, Temenglong, Tengnoupal, and Kangpokpi.