Pulwama probe IPS officer repatriated to Manipur

The Union Home Ministry has repatriated Rakesh Balwal, a top police official from Srinagar, to Manipur as the state continues to face a fresh wave of violence. The recent outbreak of violence stems from the brutal killings of two students, Phijam Hemanjit and Hijam Linthoingambi by suspected Kuki militants, who went missing on July 6.
“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for premature repatriation of Shri Rakesh Balwal, IPS from AGMUT cadre to Manipur cadre,” read a notification.
Rakesh Balwal, an IPS officer from the 2012 batch of Manipur cadre, was serving in Jammu and Kashmir. He assumed the role of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Srinagar towards the end of 2021. Prior to this, Balwal had been on deputation with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for three and a half years as a Superintendent of Police (SP).
During his time with the NIA, he was part of the team that investigated the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, resulting in the death of 40 CRPF personnel. In response to the ongoing violence in Manipur since May 3 of this year, the central government has ordered the premature repatriation of Rakesh Balwal to Manipur.This comes nearly a month after the home ministry proposed the need for more officials in Manipur due to the prevailing law and order situation.