Dr. Rabi Khan, Advocate and Vice-Chairman (Legal) of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, has filed a Right to Information (RTI) application seeking clarity on the recent Gwaltabi incident involving the Manipur State Transport (MST) bus.

Addressed to the Commissioner (Home), Government of Manipur, the RTI request demands disclosure of the name and designation of the officer who ordered the removal of the word “Manipur” from the MST bus signage on May 20, when the vehicle was ferrying journalists to the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul. The act was allegedly carried out by personnel of the 4th Battalion of the Mahar Regiment.

Dr. Khan has also sought the identity of the Commandant in charge of the 4th Bn. Mahar Regiment posted at Gwaltabi on that day, along with the names and designations of the State and Central Public Information Officers responsible for the battalion.

He urged that if the requested information is not available with the Home Department, it should be forwarded to the relevant public authority as per Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, 2005.

The application, submitted with the requisite fee, underlines rising legal and political scrutiny of the incident, which has sparked widespread condemnation across the state.