Imphal: The Kuki Human Rights Council (KHRC) has condemned a joint operation conducted by central security forces and the Cobra team at a designated camp in Manipur, demanding the immediate release of 17 Kuki cadres covered under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement who were detained during the raid.

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister on Sunday, the human rights body described the detentions as unlawful and urged the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to intervene. The council called on the authorities to provide a valid legal basis for the arrests, warning that the detained cadres should be released if the government cannot justify the action under the law.

The KHRC alleged that the operation violated constitutional safeguards, particularly Article 21, which protects the right to life and personal liberty, and Article 22, which provides safeguards against arbitrary arrest and detention. It also accused the security personnel of violating Section 47 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) by failing to inform the detained individuals of the grounds for their arrest.

The council also raised concerns over what it described as selective enforcement of the law, alleging that security operations were being directed against Kuki groups while action against other armed organisations accused of attacks on Kuki villages and civilians remained inadequate.

In its representation, the KHRC questioned why the authorities had not invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) or Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against groups including the NSCN-IM, NSCN-EF and ZUF-Kamson, which it accused of involvement in repeated attacks on Kuki settlements and civilians.

The organisation argued that such disparities in law enforcement violated Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law. It also invoked Article 355, under which the Union has a responsibility to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbance.

Calling for measures to address continuing violence in the region, the KHRC urged the government to order impartial investigations under Section 176 of the BNSS and take legal action against those responsible for civilian casualties. It also called for the termination of the existing ceasefire agreement with the NSCN-IM, citing what it described as continued violence.

The memorandum was issued by the KHRC’s Department of Information and Publicity. Besides the Prime Minister, copies were sent to the President of India, the Union Home Minister, the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).

The allegations and demands were made by the KHRC in its memorandum.