Retired Colonel Turned Senior Police Officer Nectar Sanjenbam Threatens Former KSO Leader With Death Threats

A retired Indian Army Colonel, Nectar Sanjenbam, who currently is serving the state as a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP, Combat), a new post created by N Biren Singh’s Government amid the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, landed in trouble after he threatened to kill a former KSO leader.

Former President of KSO Tengnoupal, H. Thangtinlen Daniel Mate lodged a written complaint to the Officer-in-Charge of Tengnoupal Police Station requesting to register an FIR against the Senior Superintendent   of   Police   (Combat)   today.

In his written complaint, the former KSO leader stated that he received a call late in the evening of February 12, from a Mobile number +91 7085058808 which belongs to Mr. Nectar, a retired Colonel and the present SSP in the Manipur Police Department.

A resident of Tengnoupal village in Tengnoupal District, H. Thangtinlen Daniel Mate, known to many as Daniel Mate, stated that he did not answer the said call as it was already too late in the evening.

“However, after a few minutes from the unanswered call, I received several life - threatening text messages from the SSP”, he stated in his complaint and produced a copy of the screenshot along with his written complaint to the Officer-in-Charge of Tengnoupal Police Station.

The former KSO leader appealed to the Officer-in- Charge of Tengnoupal Police Station to take up any and all necessary legal action to book the person who threatened to kill him as soon as possible. He also stated in  his  complaint  that  he  had done nothing against the SSP(Combat) or any other  person  to  deserve  such  death  threats.

The former KSO leader also stated in his complaint that unless the police authority take urgent measures to book the aforementioned SSP and take the necessary legal procedures and punishment at the earliest, he and his family face the constant threat of death at any moment.

The eight “life-threatening” messages received by the former KSO leader from the SSP (Combat) read, “Am gonna kill you asshole”, “Be very careful of me”, “I have lost my boy”, “I will not spare your” “I know you by face”, “I will not stop hunting you till I die”, “I swear on jeasus”, “I will show you wat hell is and wat god Jesus has ensured for you”.

Once a decorated army officer, and an awardee of the Kirti Chakra, Nectar Sanjenbam became a controversial officer after he was appointed as the Senior Superintendent of Police (Combat), a post specially created for him by the Manipur Government led by Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

The post was created by the state Home Department on 28 August,  following  a decision taken by the state cabinet on 12 June.

The retired Colonel of the Indian Army’s elite 21st Para Special Forces (the Waghnakhs), who led the operation against Meitei militants in June 2015, days after the attack in Manipur’s Chandel district which left 18 Army personnel dead, and personally killed at least six Meitei insurgents with his silenced Uzi rifle is now allegedly helping the same Meitei militants and radicalized groups in ongoing ethnic conflict and instigating violence contradictory to his appointment to address the violence situation.

The prematurely retired Colonel  was  appointed as the Senior Superintendent of Police (Combat) “in relaxation of all  prevalent  recruitment norms as a special case” for a five-year tenure.

Barely ten days after the appointment of Nectar Sanjenbam as the SSP(Combat), a heavy-firing incident occurred in Tengnoupal District where he was posted, as heavily armed Meitei militants attacked Pallel Kuki village where one Kuki Village Volunteer was killed and many houses in Pallel bazar were razed to the ground.

The Kuki apex body, KIM considered the appointment of Nectar Sanjenbam to the post of SSP (Combat) to be raising eyebrows on the Constitutional validity of the appointments beside the ulterior motive of the state Government to advance the ethnic cleansing pogrom against the Kuki community.

The Committee on Tribal Unity, or the CoTU, Sadar Hills considered the attack on Pallel, Molnoi area by Meitei militants as a clear outcome of the appointment of a retired Meitei Army officer as the Senior Superintendent of Police (Combat) in the state police department.

The committee maintained that the rules of appointment of Nectar Sanjenbam are nowhere found in the Constitution of India or in any recruitment rules and even urged the Central Government to intervene and revoke the appointment to maintain the sanctity and image of the Indian Army.

The Indigenous  Tribal  Leaders’  Forum,  or the ITLF also considered the appointment of Nectar Sanjenbam as a precursor to the attack on Pallel, just 10 days after his appointment.

On January 8, the Kuki women of Moreh hill town apprehended the SSP (Combat), Nectar Sanjenbam who disguised as an Army personnel when he was allegedly attempting to harm the Kuki community in Moreh morning bazar. The Kuki bodies of Moreh alleged that Nectar Sanjenbam went to the crowded morning market with automatic rifles during curfew relaxation hours by donning an Army uniform and disguised as an Army personnel, in an attempt to carry out a massacre upon the Kukis.

The local women who kept strict vigil in the area, fortunately, noticed the retired Colonel and caught him before he executed his sinister plan.

However, when the womenfolk despite his evil plan, escorted the SSP back to Moreh bazar, the Meitei militants and Arambai Tenggol opened fire towards the  innocent  civilians  resulting in further unrest in the border town of Moreh.

The Kuki bodies also raised questions on the sanctity of Assam Rifles owing to the slanted role and partisan efforts of Nectar Sanjenbam.

Nectar Sanjenbam has lost his decorated stature as a decorated Army Officer after his appointment as the SSP (Combat) in the Manipur Police Department. Now, this controversial senior police officer threatening to kill a former KSO leader has obviously exposed his partisan attitude in the ongoing ethnic violence and clearly demonstrated to the world that his appointment as the SSP (Combat) is a threat to the lives of the Kuki people in the strife- torn Manipur