At least two people were killed and a dozen injured when security forces fired at a mob that stormed a government compound housing the offices of the police superintendent and district collector in ethnic violence-hit Manipur’s Churachandpur late on Thursday.

People aware of the matter said the collector’s residence was burnt along with vehicles of the security forces parked near the compound known as the mini secretariat. The attack prompted the state government to suspend cellular data services in the Kuki-majority Churachandpur district for five days.

In an order, joint secretary (home) Mayengbam Veto Singh said “anti-social elements” could use social media “to incite passions of the public” and affect the law-and-order situation. “There is imminent danger of loss of life, damage to public/private property, and widespread disturbances to public tranquillity and communal harmony,” the order said.

The order cited the “volatile law and order situation” and said the state government has decided to temporarily suspend/curb mobile internet/data services, and internet data services through VPN in Churachandpur for five days as a preventive and precautionary measure.

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Manipur Police were yet to comment on the casualties but people aware of the matter identified those killed as Churachandpur residents Letlalkhuol Gangte and Thanggunlen Haokip. A Churachandpur district hospital official said the two died of gunshot wounds while over a dozen people were injured.

The mob gathered outside the police superintendent’s office following reports of the suspension of a police head constable belonging to the tribal Kuki community. The head constable was suspended after a video of him with “armed men” and “village volunteers” went viral on social media.

In his suspension order, a copy of which HT has seen, police superintendent Sivanand Surve cited “grave misconduct” by a member of a “disciplined police force”.

Both Kuki and Meitei communities have set up barricades at entry and exit points in districts where they are in the majority. Armed men who call themselves “village defence volunteers” have been guarding these posts.

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Officials said as soon as the report of the head constable’s suspension broke, the mob gathered and began throwing stones when they were stopped from breaking a gate and entering the compound. The Manipur Police said around 300-400 were part of the mob.

A Churachandpur resident said the arson and clashes lasted until about midnight and prompted heavy deployment of security forces in the town.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), an umbrella group of Churachandpur’s tribal bodies, said in a statement that the head constable was swiftly suspended while no action was taken against Meitei police officers seen in similar videos with militants. It called for a shutdown in Churachandpur and asked police superintendent Shivanand Surve to leave the hill district within 24 hours.

The ITLF blamed Surve for the mob attack. “If the SP cannot act with fairness, we will not allow him to remain in any tribal areas. He should immediately revoke the suspension of the policeman and leave the district within 24 hours. Otherwise, Mr. Surve will bear sole responsibility for any future incident.”

ITLF is among the civil society groups the Union government is in talks with as part of efforts to restore normalcy in Manipur.

The mob in Churachandpur ransacked the offices in the compound even though it was unclear if they looted weapons. On Tuesday, a mob looted weapons from an armoury in Imphal East. One person was killed when security forces fired at that mob.

At least 210 people have been killed and over 50,000 displaced since ethnic violence between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kukis began on May 3 last year.