Tension in Manipur district as two missing teenagers remain untraced, two held

Imphal: Tension prevailed in Manipur’s Imphal West even as the security forces have arrested two suspects on Wednesday in connection with the reported abduction or disappearance of two teenage boys from the district on Sunday.

Police said that two suspects, Lhunkhosei Chongloi, 30, and Satgohgin Hangsinh, 28, were apprehended following an intensive investigation by the police in connection with the reported abduction or disappearance case of Avinash Maibam, 16 and Ningthoujam Anthony, 19 from Akham Awang Leikai in Imphal West.

Police suspect that the detainees are to be cadres of the militant outfit under Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the government.

The family members of the missing students said that the two boys had gone towards Sekmai on Sunday in the morning on a two-wheeler and did not return home. They filed a missing complaint at the local police station after there was no response from their mobile phones also.

BJP MLA S. Rajen Singh and missing youths' families met Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey to discuss the disappearance of the two boys and submitted a memorandum seeking her intervention.

They also spoke to Director General of Police Rajiv Singh and requested him to conduct a combined search operation by security forces. Sources said that the families suspect the hand of militants in the incident.

A combined force of police, Assam Rifles, and CRPF are conducting search operations at Khengjang, Langnom and Gampiphai in Kangpokpi district to locate the youths.

Police recovered the mobile handsets used by two missing youths from Senapati district.

Manipur witnessed massive students’ agitations in September to protest the killing of 17-year-old girl student Hijam Linthoingambi and 20-year-old Phijam Hemjit, who had gone missing on July 6 during the height of ethnic violence in Manipur and photographs of their bodies were circulated in various social media on September 25.

In view of the students’ agitations, the state government on September 26 re-imposed the ban on mobile. On September 23, the internet ban was lifted after more than four months of imposition on May 3 when the ethnic riots began.