Manipur BJP leader held in SDPO killing case; party expels him

Imphal: Hemkholal Mate, one of the two individuals arrested in Manipur's Moreh town for allegedly killing police officer Chingtham Anand Kumar, has been identified as the treasurer of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Tengnoupal Mandal.

Responding to the arrest, the state unit of the BJP took swift action, expelling Mate from the party's primary membership on Tuesday.

Mate, who also served as the chief of K Moulsang village and the finance secretary of the Mate Tribe Union (MTU), was apprehended along with prime suspect Philip Khaikholal Khongsai, a former Indian Army soldier and president of the Moreh Youth Club, during a joint operation by state forces on Monday evening.

"Following an emergency executive committee meeting, we have expelled Mr. Mate from the party's primary membership," announced N Nimbus Singh, senior vice president of the Manipur BJP.

"We will also conduct a comprehensive review of our membership, and if any members are found involved in illegal activities, we will take strict disciplinary action," Singh added.

SDPO Anand was fatally shot by a sniper while on duty at the Eastern Shine ground in Moreh on October 31, 2023.

The incident sparked both protests demanding the case be transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and calls for the duo's severe punishment, particularly within Imphal valley.