Manipur: Four arrested for allegedly abducting Naga men

Four persons were arrested on Monday for their suspected involvement in the abduction of six Naga men in the Kangpokpi district on May 13, the Manipur Police said.

The men were apprehended from an area between P Molding and Leilon Veiphei in the district. They are 51-year-old Thangkhomang Khongsai, 40-year-old Seikholet Khongsai, 27-year-old Lunminthang Dimngel and 30-year-old Kamgoulal Khongsai.

The men are suspected to be “active cadres of armed village volunteer groups” in Kangpokpi and are “suspected to have been involved in anti-social activities” such as extortion, criminal intimidation and possession of arms and ammunition, the police stated.

The term “village volunteers” has been used for armed civilians guarding villages since ethnic clashes broke out in the state in May 2023.

The four men were apprehended in a joint operation conducted by the state police, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Assam Rifles.

On May 13, more than 38 persons from the Kuki and Naga communities had been taken hostage by armed groups in Kangpokpi and Senapati districts, according to state Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam. However, an unidentified police officer had told The Indian Express at the time that the total number of persons being held hostage was unclear.

The abductions had taken place after three church leaders were killed and five persons injured when the vehicles they were travelling in...

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