Delhi Police arrest alleged PLA cadre wanted in Manipur cases

Delhi Police's Crime Branch has arrested a 35-year-old man they say is linked to the banned People's Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur and wanted in two cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Thoubal police station.

The man, identified as RK Regan Singh, also known as Gandhi, was picked up from the Yusuf Sarai area of South Delhi. After legal formalities, he was handed over to a Manipur Police team that had come to the capital, Northeast Now and The Statesman reported. The Statesman, quoting the Crime Branch, described him as a resident of Thangmeiband Lourongurel Leikai in Manipur and an alleged active cadre of the banned PLA/Revolutionary People's Front.

He has not been convicted in the Thoubal cases. The police account below is what officers have said after the arrest.

How the search unfolded

Northeast Now said the operation began after Inspector Prakash Chand received information on September 3 that a wanted Meitei militant was hiding in Delhi. The Statesman, quoting Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Harsh Indora (the paper spelled the surname Indore), said the tip-off was shared with senior officers and a team was formed.

Technical surveillance pointed to the area around the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Officers then found that no patient matching the information had been admitted there, Northeast Now reported. The team widened the search to hotels and public places in Yusuf Sarai, Safdarjung Enclave and Green Park, checked CCTV footage and made field enquiries. The work was harder because they at first had no recent photograph of the man they were looking for.

Identification

Officers later detained a man matching the general description in Yusuf Sarai. Both outlets reported that, in preliminary questioning, he allegedly gave a false name and denied any link to militant activity. His photograph was sent to Manipur Police, who identified him as RK Regan Singh.

Northeast Now said he was wanted in UAPA cases registered at Thoubal police station in 2024 and 2026. During further questioning he allegedly said a relative — described as his uncle — had been a founding member of the PLA and that he himself later became associated with the group. That claim comes from the police account of the interrogation and has not been independently tested in court.

Northeast Now said the team worked under Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajkumar and DCP Harsh Indora. Delhi Police credited the arrest to a mix of technical surveillance, local intelligence and sustained enquiries on the ground.

The accused is now in the custody of Manipur Police for further investigation. NEInsider will update this story if the Thoubal court proceedings or a formal police statement add material facts.