Guwahati:Protesters ransacked the houses and set fire to the vehicles of multiple legislators and BJP leaders and even attempted to target Chief Minister N Biren Singh's residence in Manipur on Saturday after the recovery of six missing persons' bodies from a river.
The demonstrators targeted the homes of three state ministers and six MLAs, leading the government to impose indefinite prohibitory orders in five districts.
The government also suspended internet and broadband and VSAT services in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur districts for two days following large-scale violence which saw the houses of MLAs in Imphal being attacked by the angry mobs during protests against the kidnappings and killings.
Protesters ransacked the houses of three of six legislators, including that of Chief Minister N Biren Singh's son-in-law, and set their properties on fire while security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse protesters in different parts of Imphal, police said.
On Saturday night, a mob also attempted to storm Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s private residence in Imphal’s Heingang but was pushed back by security forces guarding the house. As per local inputs, the CM was not present in the house at the time.
The bodies of two women and a child, who had been missing since Monday from a camp for the displaced, were recovered from Barak River in Jiribam on Saturday, while three other bodies, including a woman and two children, were found on Friday night.
Bodies of six people, including those of three children, recovered from Manipur's Jiribam district, were sent to Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH) in Assam for post-mortem examinations. Among the ministers whose residences were stormed by the protesters are Sapam Ranjan, L Susindro Singh and Y Khemchand, an official said.
Curfew was imposed for an indefinite period in Imphal East and West, Bishnupur, Thoubal and Kakching districts of Imphal valley "due to developing law and order situation", he said.
The state administration suspended internet services temporarily in seven districts in the wake of protesters storming the residences of state ministers and MLAs, another official said.
A mob stormed the residence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Sapam Ranjan at Lamphel Sanakeithel in Imphal West district, police said.
Lamphel Sanakeithel Development Authority's representative David told reporters, "Sapam assured us that the issues related to the killing of six persons will be discussed at a cabinet meeting and that the minister will tender his resignation if the government fails to honour the sentiment of the public." Protesters also stormed the residence of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister L Susindro Singh in Imphal East district, prompting security forces to fire several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the agitators, police said.
The residence of Y Khemchand, the minister for Municipal Administration Housing Development, in Singjamei area in Imphal West district was also targeted by the protesters, police said.