Imphal, April 12: The Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) has warned Manipur police that it would launch an offensive against the force if police commandos do not desist from “killing” its cadre after capturing them.
In a statement issued on the eve of the outfit’s “martyrs’ day,” which will be observed tomorrow, the RPF — the political wing of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) — accused the state police of killing “revolutionaries” after arresting them.
It said during the past 20 years, nearly 200 cadre of the outfit have been killed by the force. Of these, 136 were killed by torture in police custody, the outfit alleged. Last month, police commandos gunned down five RPF militants in Imphal East district in an alleged encounter. The outfit charged that all the five cadres were killed after they were arrested.
Stating that though the RPF stood firmly by its declaration of March 19, 1996 that it would not target state forces, the communiqu? warned that it might review the decision and launch an offensive against the state police to defend themselves if the “brutal killings” of its cadre in police custody continued.
The outfit also warned that the “senseless killing” by police commandos, might jeopardise the lives of some 15,500 policemen of the state force.
The RPF has been observing “martyrs’ day” on April 13 every year in honour of the “revolutionaries who laid down their lives in the freedom struggle.”
Security measures have been beefed up in view of the outfit’s “martyrs’ day.” A senior police officer said patrolling and frisking had been intensified at various points in the city. A large number of policemen have also been deployed around its memorial on Cheiraoching hillock at Chingmeirong of Imphal to prevent any untoward incident.