The former president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Manipur Pradesh, Manoharmayum Barish Sharma was among 6 persons arrested in the shooting of 5 persons including a woman and a teenager, the police said.

MB Sharma was arrested from his residence in Imphal East in the early hours of Sunday. MB Sharma is the main accused of the October 14 night Khwairakpam Leikai Sega Road firing incident. Police have already arrested five persons with a vehicle in connection with the crime but weapons used in the crime are yet to be recovered to date, the police said.

The arrest of former BJYM was made after Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh directed the police to fulfill the demands of the “Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the indiscriminate shooting of innocent people.”
JAC convenor Chongtham Iboyaima conveyed that the Chief Minister has assured that the Government will assist in the treatment of the five persons who sustained injuries in the incident.

To protest the firing on October 16, 2023, a large number of people mostly youth gathered at the residence of MB Sharma at Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapal in Imphal East district. Denouncing the indiscriminate firing which left five people including a woman injured, a large protest demonstration was also staged at Konjeng Hajari Leikai, Tiddim Road.

On October 14 at around 10, 30 pm, about 20 unknown persons made a foiled attempt to abduct one Khaidem Seityajit also known as Bobo (38). Bobo’s wife Ranjana told the newsmen that her husband uploaded a post on Facebook a few days back.

In response to his post, former BJYM president MB Sharma along with some unidentified masked men came to their house on that faithful night and tried to take her husband away. Soon there were heated arguments. People started gathering and in their escape from the scene, the masked assailants fired several rounds before fleeing, she said. Five persons sustained injuries in the actions of the armed men.  

The local residents of the surrounding areas under the aegis of the newly formed JAC carried out a protest rally against the armed assailants and their unlawful activities.