The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday issued three separate notifications extending the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in parts of the Northeast for another six months, effective from October 1, 2025, after reviewing the prevailing law and order situation.
In Manipur, AFSPA will continue to remain in force across the state, except in 13 police station areas across five districts—Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching. The exempted areas include six police stations in Imphal West, three in Imphal East, two in Bishnupur and one each in Thoubal and Kakching. The ministry’s notification declared the rest of the state as a “disturbed area” for a further period of six months.
The “disturbed area” status has a long history in Manipur. It was in force across the state, excluding the Imphal municipality area, from 2004 until April 2022. That year, the state government notified that the designation would no longer apply to several police station areas in Imphal and a few in other districts. However, AFSPA was reimposed across Manipur in October 2024, barring 19 police station areas. Following fresh violence in Jiribam district a month later, the Act was reinstated in six of those areas.
In Nagaland, AFSPA has also been extended in nine districts and in 21 police stations spread across five other districts, with the areas being declared “disturbed” for six months beginning October 1.
Meanwhile, in Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre decided to continue the imposition of AFSPA in the districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding, as well as in areas under the jurisdiction of the Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district bordering Assam.
AFSPA grants sweeping powers to the armed forces operating in disturbed areas. These include the authority to search and arrest without warrants, open fire if deemed necessary for maintaining law and order and immunity from prosecution without prior sanction from the Central government.
Also read: Manipur cops nab prime suspect in deadly Assam Rifles ambush
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