Swept Under the Carpet, Investigations on Scams and Scandals

Over the last two decades, a litany of scams has surfaced in the State, each promising to shake the foundations of governance, only to fade into oblivion like fleeting Facebook reels that amuse for a moment before being scrolled away.

The people of Manipur, worn by years of turmoil, have grown numb to this cycle: shock, apathy, repeat. Yet, whistleblowers—journalists, activists, citizens—persist, exposing skulduggery at great personal risk, only to face investigations that stall or vanish. Civil society organizations, once fierce advocates, now sit silent, while leaders who once vowed a “corruption-free Manipur” offer excuses or turn away.

The drug scandals reveal a toxic nexus of politics and crime. In 2018, Lukhosei Zou, a BJP leader and former Autonomous District Council chairperson, was arrested with heroin and amphetamine tablets worth Rs 27 crore. His 2020 acquittal, along with six others, by a special court sparked outrage, yet the state’s appeal has crawled, fueling suspicions of political protection.

Similarly, the 2013 Imphal Airport drug scam saw Manipur Police’s Special Intelligence Unit seize seven cartons of psychotropic drugs, leading to CBI charges against Okram Henry, nephew of former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, alongside Sapam Angus, Md Rajauddin, Ramveer Tyagi, and Rajneesh Kumar. Court proceedings dragged into 2017 and beyond, with little resolution, raising questions about interference tied to political ties.

Fiscal skulduggery compounds the misery of the vulnerable. The Moirang Assembly Constituency relief scam, exposed via RTI, revealed Rs 23 crore spent on absurdities—toothbrushes, snacks, televisions—for displaced persons in relief camps amid ethnic violence. The opposition Congress demanded a judicial probe, suspecting funds meant for the desperate were siphoned off, but the government offered denials, not transparency. This mirrors broader aid diversion, where insiders profit while victims suffer.

The 2025 Manipur Assembly supply scam, a Rs 29.22 crore irregularity involving Rs 7.72 crore on fish feed and manure—odd purchases for a legislature—prompted veteran politician O. Joy to demand a Lok Sabha probe, calling it a stain on Manipur’s pride. Yet, no investigative committee has formed. This is no outlier.

The Manipur Development Society scam (2009-2016) saw Rs 332 crore allegedly embezzled from Rs 518 crore in infrastructure funds, with former CM Okram Ibobi Singh under CBI scrutiny, but progress is glacial. Recurring Public Distribution System scams, like rice misappropriation in Churachandpur in 2023 and earlier CAG-flagged frauds, persist.

A Rs 1,700 crore PMGSY road scam in 2022, a multi-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam in 2025, a 2025 highway compensation scam in Kangpokpi, involving insurgents coercing fraudulent claims, adds to the chaos.The sums—thousands of crores looted—are staggering, yet impunity thrives. Leaders, whether Congress or BJP, campaign on anti-corruption but govern amid new scandals. Have we grown so numb that scams are mere entertainment? Whistleblowers risk everything to expose skulduggery, only to watch investigations falter.Manipur’s “sweep under the carpet” system ensures investigations are mere theatrics—launched for namesake to save face for departments, not to deliver justice.

The paranoia sets in: Have we, as a society, become so desensitized that scams are mere entertainment, like viral videos forgotten in seconds? Whistleblowers—journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens—risk life and limb to expose these truths, only to watch as investigations drag on or fizzle out. Justice delayed is justice denied, and in Manipur, it’s often denied altogether.

Departments protect their own, reports gather dust, and public trust erodes. This sham system shields the guilty while betraying whistleblowers and citizens alike. Without independent, time-bound investigations and a resurgence of public outrage, this cycle of corruption will persist, its future plundered under the guise of governance. Whistleblowers stand waiting—will we demand the carpet be lifted, or let the truth stay buried?

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