Srinagar SSP Rakesh Balwal transferred to parent cadre Manipur

New Delhi: SSP of Srinagar Rakesh Balwal has been transferred to his parent cadre Manipur where the situation has been tense over the past few months.

According to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Balwal has been prematurely transferred from the AGMUT cadre to his parent state. The 2012 batch IPS officer of the Manipur cadre took charge as SSP Srinagar in late 2021.

Before that, Balwal was on deputation to the NIA for three-and-half years as Superintendent of Police and was a member of the probe team that investigated the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.

More than 180 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley, while tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.

Violent protests continued to rock Manipur's capital for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured Chief Minister N Biren Singh of quick action in dealing with the culprits responsible for kidnapping and killing two youths.

Curfew was also re-imposed in two districts of East and West Imphal as the Biren Singh government combatted violent protests which saw 65 demonstrators being injured over two days.