Imphal, Sep 13 (IANS): With no fresh incidents reported during the past 24 hours in Manipur, the district magistrates of Imphal East, Imphal West, and Thoubal districts on Friday issued separate orders relaxing the curfew for 11 hours, officials said.
The orders of the district magistrates of Imphal East, Imphal West, and Thoubal districts said that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 had been issued last week for restriction of the movement of any person outside their respective residences.
“Due to the developing of law and orders in the districts, there is a need to relax the restriction of movement to facilitate the general public to purchase essential items including medicines and food items and restriction of movement of general public outside their residences is hereby lifted for Saturday (September 14) from 5 a.m to 4 p.m,” the official orders said.
It added that these relaxations shall not include any gathering/sit-in-protest/rally etc. without obtaining approval through competent authority.
A senior police official said that though the curfew has been relaxed for 11 hours in three districts, security in these districts would remain tightened and the patrolling of para-military and other central and state forces would continue as usual.
Last week, the strife-torn Manipur witnessed a series of violent incidents since September 1, with the suspected militants gunned down at least 12 people, including two women, elderly persons and a retired soldier and injured over 20 others.
Of the 12 deaths, six were killed in mixed-populated Jiribam, adjoining southern Assam.
In view of the escalating violence, mobile Internet service was suspended on September 10 in five districts -- Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching -- for five days (till September 15).
The Higher and Technical Education Department and the Directorate of Education, in two separate orders, closed all schools, colleges and technical institutions till September 14, considering the prevailing law and order situation in the state.