A group of armed miscreants abducted four Manipur police personnel from National Highway 2 on Saturday and brutally assaulted them before releasing them blindfolded, prompting the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), a Kuki-Zo CSO, to impose a 24-hour shutdown in Kangpokpi district on Sunday.
The quartet, posted in Kuki-Zo majority Kangpokpi district, were abducted from National Highway 2 by around 30 armed miscreants at Koirengei in Imphal East district on their way back to their place of posting, sources said.
They were subjected to brutal assault before being released, sources said. A video of the injured personnel admitted to a Kangpokpi hospital started doing the rounds of WhatsApp from Saturday evening.
The police personnel are Manoj Khatiwoda (34), Md. Taj Khan (29), Ram Bahadur Karki (34) and Ramesh Budhathoki (30).
Three of them belonged to the Nepali community and one from Muslim community, sources said.
Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh said on Sunday that an FIR has been lodged and necessary legal action will be initiated against those involved in the abduction and assault of the policemen.
Two persons have been reportedly arrested in this connection but there has been no official confirmation yet.
A police official said in Kangpokpi said they “were my boys” and that that a zero FIR has been registered based on complaint filed by one of the policeman on behalf of the quartet who were discharged from hospital on Sunday “but they need proper care”.
He said the abduction took place from an area falling under Hiengang PS in Imphal East district.
This is the third such attack on security personnel in the strife-hit Manipur by militants/miscreants, the first being the militant attack on the night of April 27 at Naranseina in Meitei-majority Bishnupur district leaving two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel dead and two injured.
The second incident saw armed miscreants abduct and assault a CRPF jawan, belonging to the Kuki community, on Wednesday. He was abducted from NH 2 when he was on his way home in Champhai sub-division in Kangpokpi district. He was rescued after five hours following the joint intervention of Imphal West and Kangpokpi police.
On February 27, armed miscreants had also abducted an additional SP and also attacked his residence inn Imphal East, leading to an “arms down” protest by police commandos in the valley districts the next day.
The attack on Central forces and police personnel reflect the critical law and order situation in the state.
The looting of over 5,000 arms and 5 lakh ammunitions from police and battalion armouries in at least four phases since the ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo communities began on May 3 last year and recovery of around 1,900 arms remains a cause of cause of concern within the security establishment.
The last looting of arms and ammunition took place at the 5th IRB in Imphal East in February.
The COTU-called shutdown has affected life. The Kuki-Zo has also called for reimposition of the AFSPA in the 19 valley police stations for maintaining order.
