Imphal, March 8: The security forces after the expiry of the 15-day deadline to surrender looted and illegally-held arms and ammunition, further stepped up their search operations in 10 of the 16 Manipur districts and recovered 114 weapons, IEDs, grenades, various ammunition and other war-like stores, officials said here on Saturday.

A Defence spokesman said that in a series of joint operations during the past 24 hours, Army, Assam Rifles, various Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Manipur Police recovered 114 weapons, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), grenades, various ammunition and other war-like stores.

The joint operations were conducted in the hill and valley districts — Bishnupur, Senapati, Thoubal, Jiribam, Chandel, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Imphal East, Imphal West and Kakching.

The security forces also destroyed several bunkers in Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal districts.

In Nepali Basti of Bishnupur district, an operation by the Indian Army and Manipur Police resulted in recovery of seven weapons consisting of two Carbines, two Pistols, two Rifles and one improvised mortar, ammunition and other war-like stores.

Similarly, in Chandel district, a search operation resulted in recovery of 55 weapons comprising nine 12-bore Single Barrel Rifles, twelve Muzzle Loaded Rifles, one 12mm Single Bore Shotgun, one Single Barrel rifle, 32 Improvised Mortars of various calibres, four IEDs, grenades, ammunition and other war-like stores.

In Senapati district, on receipt of information about the presence of arms and ammunition, the Assam Rifles, in coordination with Manipur Police launched a joint operation in general area Taphou Kuki and recovered four weapons comprising two bolt-action single-barrel guns, one double-barrel gun and one 12 Bore Single Barrel Rifle.

As many as 15 weapons were recovered by Assam Rifles and Manipur Police from Gothol areas in Churachandpur district.

In the mixed populated Jiribam district, a joint operation of Assam Rifles and Manipur police in Ankhasu village resulted in recovery of nine improvised mortars (Pompi).

In Imphal East district, in the areas of Pourabi, Sawombung and Kalika, Indian Army and Manipur Police launched operations and recovered six weapons.

Manipur Police also arrested two cadres of the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) militant outfit and recovered some arms and ammunition from them.

The Defence spokesman said that the joint operations to recover the remaining looted arms and ammunition would continue in both valley and hilly districts.

Police officials said that responding to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s appeal till March 6 around 1,023 arms and a huge cache of ammunition have been surrendered by various organisations and individuals in five valley districts, five hill districts and mixed populated Jiribam districts since the Governor made the appeal for the first time on February 20.

According to various reports during the ethnic riots between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 3, 2023, more than 6,000 different types of sophisticated arms and lakhs of pieces of different types of ammunition were looted from the police stations and outposts by the mobs and militants of both communities.

New Delhi, March 8: President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday extended their best wishes on the occasion of International Women’s Day, praising the achievements and contributions of women across various sectors.

Taking to X, President Murmu wrote, “Greetings to all on International Women’s Day! Today, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of women. We also resolve to make concerted efforts to strengthen the cause of women’s rights, equality, and empowerment. Our sisters and daughters are breaking glass ceilings and pushing boundaries.”

The President further emphasised the need for collective efforts to support women’s growth.

“Let us pledge to support women in their journey, ensuring that no one is left behind as they carve new paths in various fields. Together, we can create a gender-equal world where women and girls can pursue their dreams without fear,” she added.

Vice President Dhankhar also took to X to convey his message. “Greetings on International Women’s Day! Women are the backbone of our society, driving transformative change with their resilience, dedication, and leadership,” he wrote.

Highlighting the importance of women-led development, he added, “A truly empowered society is one where women are at the forefront of growth and decision-making. Let us ever remember that women-led development is a fundamental necessity for Viksit Bharat.”

He concluded by urging everyone to “work together to create an inclusive, equitable, and progressive future for women.”

In addition to their messages, President Murmu is scheduled to inaugurate a national-level conference at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi under the theme ‘Nari Shakti Se Viksit Bharat’.

A mega campaign titled ‘She Builds Bharat’ will also be launched as part of the celebrations. The event will witness the participation of women officers from the armed forces, paramilitary forces, and Delhi Police, alongside MY Bharat volunteers, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, and Self-Help Group members.

Lady officers from various ministries and departments have been invited to join the event, which will also host representatives from international organisations such as the World Bank, UNICEF, UN Women, UNDP, and UNFPA, according to the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Guwahati, March 7: Controversial YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia appeared before the Assam Police in Guwahati on Friday in connection with the case related to his objectionable comments in the ‘India Got Latent’ show.

The questioning of Allahbadia is underway at the Crime Branch of Guwahati Police.

Allahbadia was supposed to appear before the Assam Police the previous week in the case related to his controversial comments on the stage of the ‘India’s Got Latent’ show that has attracted massive backlash for the podcaster.

A case against Allahbadia was registered in Guwahati, and he was served summons to appear before the Assam Police here.

The Guwahati Crime Branch, in the previous week, questioned another YouTuber, Ashish Chanchlani, who has also been embroiled in the controversy for his comments made during an episode of the show.

The interrogation lasted for several hours after the YouTuber arrived at the Crime Branch office.

He was questioned about a number of accusations before being let go in the evening.

“Chanchlani showed up for interrogation at the Crime Branch. He has complied with our enquiry. We will phone him if necessary, but we are not currently calling him again. Police notices have not yet received a response from other people connected to the investigation. They will receive new summonses shortly,” Guwahati’s Joint Police Commissioner, Ankur Jain, told reporters here.

On February 21, the Supreme Court asked the Governments of Maharashtra and Assam to respond to the YouTuber’s request to have a formal complaint against the show’s controversial remarks dismissed or transferred to Mumbai.

When Allahbadia made controversial comments on the show hosted by Samay Raina, Chanchlani was listed in the Assam FIR.

Due to his tasteless remarks regarding parents and sex in an episode of the show, Allahbadia, better known by his stage name BeerBiceps, was the target of multiple formal complaints.