The Manipur government will hand over to the CBI the case of the Meitei man, who went missing from an army camp in Imphal West district on November 25.
A decision to this effect was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday night.
There have been several protests demanding Laishram Kamalbabu Singh, 56, of Assam’s Cachar district, who was working as a supervisor for a contractor with the Military Engineering Services (MES) at the Leimakhong Military Station, be traced.
The army camp area is about 12km from Imphal.
Youth organisation Progressive Youth Forum called a 12-hour strike on Monday to protest the lack of a breakthrough in the case.
Manipur police had said on December 2 that massive search operations were being carried out to trace Singh with the help of Indian Army since November 25.
“The Indian Army has extended all support and resources to trace him, utilising 2,000-plus troops, helicopters, drones and army tracker dogs,” the police had said.
Manipur High Court had formed a four-member committee to investigate whether Singh was abducted from the army camp “or fled on his own”.
Bouts of firing between security forces and armed Kuki-Zo men have continued since December 24 in the area between Imphal East andKangpokpi district.
