The two Meitei youths, who had strayed into a Kuki-Zo area on September 27, were released safely on Thursday morning hours after the “transfer” of 11 Kuki-Zo jail inmates from Imphal to Kuki-Zo majority Kangpokpi district.

The Sajiwa jail inmates had secured bail over a month ago but could not be released owing to security reasons triggered by the ongoing ethnic conflict.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said in a tweet, “The two young men abducted in Kangpokpi on 27th September, 2024 have been safely brought back to the custody of @manipur_police. I sincerely appreciate everyone from both the state and central government who worked tirelessly to ensure their safe return. Your efforts are deeply valued.”

There was no mention of the transfer of the Kuki-Zo prisoners from Imphal or the role played by any Kuki-Zo group in the release of the two youths, whose detention/capture by in Kangpokpi district had seen protests and bandh in Thoubal district since Tuesday and a statewide bandh on Wednesday.

The two youths — Oinam Thoithoi Singh (26) and Thokchom Thoithoiba Singh (27) — were handed over safely to the Kangpokpi police at around 5am before their journey back home, after about three hours of the handing over of the 11 Sajiwa Jail inmates at the Saparmeina PS in Kangpokpi district. Release of the jail inmates were one of the two “conditions” set by the captors of the two youths, according to a Kuki-Zo organisation.

The released youth had accompanied another youth (Ningombam Johnson Singh, 25) appearing in a fitness test for recruitment of constables post in Imphal West district but went missing after had strayed into Kuki-Zo majority Kangpokpi district. Johnson was rescued by the Assam Rifles on the same day — September 27.

However, a security official had told the media that there was an “exchange” of the jail inmates and the youths but clarified that the inmates had already secured bail and were awaiting their transfer/release to the hill districts, from where most of them belonged but they could not be transported because of safety concerns triggered by the ongoing conflict which saw an escalation in September.

The Committee on tribal Unity (COTU), a Kuki-Zo organisation which has been coordinating relief and other activities related to the community members in Kangpokpi district, said the Centre had played a key role in the amicable settlement of the detention issue.

Ng. Lun Kipgen, COTU spokesperson said in a video statement, said the three youths from Imphal Valley were “detained by our village volunteers” and that the COTU had been “spearheading efforts for the safety and release of these detainees” even though their efforts were “maligned” in the valley.

He said COTU’s efforts led to the release of one of the detained youths on September 27 “but for the other two our village volunteers made some conditions which took us time...”

He then said the first discussion with the state DGP Rajiv Singh took place on September 29 but things did not move forward.

The chief minister had said earlier that he had directed Singh to rush to Kangpokpi and hold talks with relevant groups to ensure the safe release of the two youths.