Imphal, May 6: Security forces have arrested 12 more militants, including a woman cadre, of different outfits and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition in Manipur during the past 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.

A police spokesman said that of the 12 militants apprehended, 11 belong to the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) outfit and one to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) group.

The militants, including a woman cadre, were arrested from four districts — eight from Imphal East, one from Imphal West, two from Thoubal, and one from Kakching.

A large cache of arms and ammunition, including AK series/A1/M4/self-loading rifles, .303 rifles, pistols, camouflage uniforms, mobile phones, various electronic devices, incriminating documents and various other materials were recovered from the militants.

These extremists were involved in kidnapping, threatening people, various types of crimes, forcible collection of money from government employees, contractors, traders and common people.

The security forces, comprising Central and state forces, arrest militants of different outfits almost every day.

Meanwhile, police, during the past 24 hours, have recovered six more stolen vehicles in a special drive conducted for the recovery of stolen/snatched vehicles from anti-social elements/ miscreants.

Amid the ethnic violence in Manipur, widespread theft of cars and two-wheelers was reported, and 151 stolen cars and 30 two-wheelers have been recovered since April 16 from different places in the state when a special drive for the recovery of stolen/snatched vehicles was launched.

Combined security forces have continued search operations and area domination in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts. Manipur has two National Highways — the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37) and the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2), both very crucial to bring in foodgrains, various essentials and useful items, medicines, transport fuels, construction materials, machineries, and numerous other commodities from outside the state. To prevent any attack or any untoward incident, the security forces provide escorts to all kinds of vehicles when they move through the National Highways.

New Delhi, May 6: A high level meeting has started in the Home Ministry on the mock drill to be held on May 7. The Home Secretary is holding a meeting with representatives of 244 civil defense districts.

In fact, this is an important meeting regarding the mock drill to be held on May 7, which has been organized in North Block under the chairmanship of Home Secretary Govind Mohan. The presence of Chief Secretaries and senior officials of the states in the meeting makes it clear that this is a national level coordination effort related to security and disaster management.

The objective of this meeting is to ensure preparation and coordination for the mock drill to be held on May 7. Due to this, officials of NDRF, Civil Defense DG, DG Fire and Air Defense as well as representatives of state governments have also participated in it.

Apart from this, the focus is on border and sensitive districts. Representatives of 244 civil defense districts and border areas have specially participated for this meeting. Also, this drill will focus on preparing for emergency scenarios like rockets, missiles and air strikes. Apart from this, discussions are also possible in the meeting on how to make arrangements for sirens and blackouts. This meeting is being considered a big step towards testing and improving the country’s security and disaster handling capabilities.

It is worth mentioning that after the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, the central government has taken a big step regarding security preparations. The Home Ministry has directed many states of the country to organize a comprehensive civil defense mock drill on May 7.

According to government sources, important activities will be carried out under the mock drill. During this, air raid warning sirens will be operated. This is a step related to issuing alerts about major danger and enemy activities.

Citizens and students will be trained in necessary civil defense techniques to keep themselves safe in case of possible attacks. Crash blackout will be arranged. Under this, emergency protocols will be implemented to hide cities and structures from enemy aerial surveillance or attack.

Ahmedabad, May 6: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at 10 locations in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in connection with a Rs 100 crore fraud involving Salim Jummakhan Pathan, who is accused of illegally posing as a Waqf Board trustee and siphoning off rent from Waqf properties.

The action follows an FIR registered by the Gaekwad Haveli police, where five individuals were earlier arrested for allegedly misrepresenting themselves as trustees of the Waqf Board.

The group is accused of illegally collecting rent from properties associated with the Waqf Board, including the historic Kaanch Ni Masjid (Glass Mosque) and Shah Bada Qasam Trust in the Jamalpur area.

According to police investigations, the accused were never officially appointed as trustees by the Gujarat State Waqf Board.

Despite this, they allegedly posed as authorised representatives to extract rent from tenants occupying Waqf-owned properties and commercial establishments built on land leased to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).

A key revelation in the investigation points to a plot originally allotted by the Waqf Board to AMC for constructing a school.

The school building was damaged during the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. In 2009, the accused allegedly demolished the remaining structure and began renting out the land. One of the main accused, Salim Pathan, is said to have set up an office — Sodagar Construction — in one of the shops, while leasing out the rest. Neither the rent collected was deposited in the Waqf trust’s official account nor reported to the municipal body, leading to a misappropriation of public and religious assets.

The ED’s raids are part of a broader probe into the alleged financial misdeeds and money laundering linked to this case.

Further investigations are ongoing, and more details are awaited.

The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, enacted on April 8, introduces significant reforms to the governance of waqf properties in the country, aiming to enhance transparency, inclusivity, and administrative efficiency.

The Act mandates the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards, allowing for broader representation. Specifically, it permits up to 12 out of 22 members in the Central Waqf Council and 7 out of 11 members in State Waqf Boards to be non-Muslims. Additionally, it requires at least two Muslim women to be part of these bodies, promoting gender inclusivity.