1. The 12 cadres of the banned Manipur extremist group were detained by the Army during a counter-insurgency operation in 2018. 2. The cadres were under Army custody for over a year and were scheduled to be handed over to the police for further legal action. 3. However, a mob consisting of women and children belonging to the same community as the detained cadres blocked the Army convoy, demanding their release. 4. The mob argued that the cadres had surrendered and were promised a rehabilitation package by the government. 5. The Army was unable to control the situation as it feared that any use of force could lead to casualties among the civilians. 6. Furthermore, the Army had no legal authority to detain the cadres beyond the specified time limit without formal charges being brought against them. 7. The local administration intervened and negotiated with the mob, convincing them to disperse. The cadres were eventually released without any charges being pressed against them. 8. The incident highlights the concerns over vigilantism and mob justice in the absence of an effective legal system, and the challenges faced by the security forces in such situations.