New Delhi: Six months after taking over the case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed chargesheets against seven persons from Manipur’s Metiei community in an arms looting case during the ethnic strife.As per a first information report (FIR), more than 300 arms, around 19,800 rounds of ammunition, and 800 types of munitions among other things were looted from the headquarters of the two Indian Reserve Battalion located in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on August 3, 2023.“A crowd had gathered there to march towards Churachandpur where tribals (Kukis) were planning to carry out a mass burial of their people killed in the ethnic clashes that broke out in Manipur on May 3 last year,” reported news agency PTI.News reports said the chargesheets filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate of Guwahati in Assam, had named the accused as Laishram Prem Singh, Khumukcham Dhiren alias Thapkpa, Moirangthem Anand Singh, Athokpam Kajit alias Kishorjit, Loukrakpam Michael Mangangcha alias Michael, Konthoujam Romojit Meitei alias Romojit and Keisham Johnson alias Johnson.The case was transferred by the state government to the central agency on August 24 last year. The N. Biren Singh government has so far transferred 29 cases to the CBI. As per a Supreme Court order, these cases are being tried in the neighbouring Assam due to the ongoing violence in Manipur.This case is one among several others related to the looting of arms and ammunition from security forces in the Meitei-dominated valley districts of Manipur during the ethnic clash.Meanwhile, the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district is set to witness a shutdown on March 4 in protest against the Manipur assembly’s adoption of a resolution on February 29. The resolution aims to abrogate the suspension of operation (SoO) with 25 Kuki armed groups by the Centre on grounds of violation of rules of the agreement. The six-month validity of the SoO with the Centre was to expire on February 29. Notably, no Kuki MLA was present in the House when the resolution was adopted.While the Biren Singh government’s cabinet had decided to walk out of the SoO agreement days before the ethnic strife broke out between the Meitei and the Kuki communities, the Centre has continued with the arrangement. In the last few months, several Meitei civil society groups have petitioned the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to reconsider this decision. The Centre has so far kept quiet on the matter.Apart from the day-long shutdown, the civil society group, Committee for Tribal Unity, has also decided to take out a rally against the assembly’s resolution on March 4.