Five out of 10-15 'armed footballers' arrested
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 14 2025: Manipur Police have arrested five individuals in connection with a viral video that showed men in football kits carrying sophisticated firearms during a football match in Kangpokpi district.

The arrests were made on February 12, following the circulation of the video on social media platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook.

According to a post on X by Manipur Police, the incident took place at K Gamnomphai village ground during a football match in Saitu sub-division under G Saparmeina police station.

The video showed around 10 to 15 persons in camouflage attire, along with individuals in football kits, holding sophisticated weapons.

The arrested individuals are Mangtinlen Kipgen alias Baemang (26), Mangtinlen Kipgen (24), Seithenmang Kipgen 28), Lunminsei Kipgen (21), and Lunkhogin Kipgen (24) .

Five out of 10-15 'armed footballers' arrested

Earlier, NDTV reported that the video first surfaced on Instagram through a social media influencer from Kangpokpi district - which quickly went viral, drawing widespread attention.

The visuals depicted men in football kits wielding AK and American origin M series assault rifles while casually kicking a football.

Red ribbons were tied around the barrels of the guns.

An event poster visible in the video indicated that the match was being held at (L) Nohjang Kipgen Memorial Playground in K Gamnomphai, around 55 km from Imphal.

The tournament reportedly began on January 20.Following the video's circulation, the social media influencer, identified as Nampi Romeo Hansong, deleted the original post that carried the watermark "Kukiland" and a hashtag in his name.

However, he later uploaded a short version of the football match video without the armed men.

On his YouTube channel, which has over 1.09 lakh subscribers, a longer version of the video was posted, showing the armed men for a brief moment before transitioning to cultural performances and scenes from the match.

Towards the end of the video, heavily armed men in dark green battledress were seen dancing at the venue.

Their helmets and shoulder patches bore a red logo associated with the Kuki National Front (P) or KNF-P, a militant group active in Kangpokpi district.

The Video sparked outrage, with civil society organisations calling for an investigation.

The Meitei Heritage Society, in a post on X, urged authorities to take action, questioning whether the tournament was being used as a front for militant activities.

The KNF-P, a signatory to the controversial Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, has been accused of violating the terms of the agreement, which mandates that militants stay in designated camps with their weapons locked under official monitoring.

The agreement, which included nearly two dozen Kuki militant groups, lapsed in February this year, and the Manipur government has been pressing for its permanent termination, citing their alleged involvement in the ongoing ethnic conflict.

Among others, Delhi Meetei Coordinating Committee (DMCC) had strongly condemned the Government of India and the state government for what it called an indirect endorsement of armed activities by Kuki militants in Kangpokpi district.

The committee expressed outrage against alleged absence of immediate government action despite such a publicised event, calling it a further indication of the collapse of governance and selective enforcement of law and order in the state.

In the same vein, the Meitei Alliance expressed outrage over the viral video, describing it as a shocking display of lawlessness and impunity.

The alliance claimed that it was not an isolated incident but a reflection of the growing audacity of Kuki militant groups, who continue to terrorise civilians, disrupt peace, and challenge the sovereignty of India.

With the SoO no longer in effect, the Alliance insisted that there is no justification for allowing these armed groups to operate unchecked.