GUWAHATI: A joint team of Manipur Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Assam Rifles has arrested four individuals allegedly linked to the abduction of six Naga civilians, amid ongoing operations in violence-hit Kangpokpi district.
The individuals were apprehended from Kangpokpi district on Monday during a coordinated operation launched to trace the missing persons and identify those involved in the incident.
“In one such operation, Manipur police, CRPF and AR apprehended four individuals – Thangkhomang Khongsai (51), Seikholet Khongsai (40), Lunminthang Dimngel (27) and Kamgoulal Khongsai (30),” the police said.
The police suspect the arrested individuals to be active members of armed village volunteer groups in Kangpokpi district, allegedly involved in anti-social activities. Their role in the abduction of the six civilians is yet to be ascertained during investigation.
“The role of the apprehended individuals in the abduction of the six persons is suspected and will be ascertained during the course of investigation,” the police further stated.
The latest arrests come in the backdrop of escalating violence in the region. On May 13, three Thadou church leaders were killed in an ambush in Kangpokpi district. Later the same day, multiple groups allegedly abducted “more than 38” Kuki and Naga individuals from different locations.
Two days later, 14 Nagas and 14 Kukis were released by their abductors. Naga organisations said six Nagas continue to be held captive by Kuki groups, while Kuki organisations have claimed there is no trace of 14 Kukis who were abducted.
On Saturday, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh stated that the National Investigation Agency would probe cases related to the abduction of six Naga villagers and the killing of the three church leaders.
Meanwhile, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) criticised certain Kuki civil society organisations over their claims that they had no knowledge of the whereabouts of the six Nagas.
“On that fateful day, innocent Naga civilians were abducted…The living testimonies of the wives and family members who were abducted alongside their husbands stand as undeniable proof. These women were released on May 15, while their husbands and others remain under the custody of abductors,” the NPF’s Manipur unit stated.
