Manipur: Search on, stir continues as Meitei man remains untraced for 9th day

Imphal, Dec 3 (IANS) Amidst the hectic search operation by the Army and other security forces and continued agitation by various organisations, the 56-year-old man of the Meitei community remained untraced for the ninth day on Tuesday.

A police official said that the Army has deployed over 2,000 soldiers including Assam Rifles personnel and is conducting hectic searches in Kangpokpi and adjoining districts to locate Laishram Kamalbabu Singh, who has been missing since November 25.

The Army as part of their search operation deployed tracker dogs, drones and other devices.

Several Civil Society organisations continued their sit-in-protests at different places demanding immediate rescue of the “kidnapped” man.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC), constituted to spearhead the agitation against the “abduction” of the Meitei community man, also continued its sit-in protest at Kanto Sabal, around 3 km from the Leimakhong Military Station of the 57th Mountain Division. Singh's wife Akoijam Belarani also participated in the protests.

The Army barricaded the road leading to the military station.

The women's wing of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the apex body of the majority Meitei community, also separately agitated demanding the rescue of the “kidnapped” man.

Kamalbabu Singh, a resident of Gossaipur under Cachar district in southern Assam, who was staying at Loitang Khunou village in Imphal West district, left his residence on November 25 for the Leimakhong military station, where he was working as a supervisor for a contractor working with Military Engineering Services (MES), but went missing.

Defence sources said that the Army is in regular interactions with village heads and community elders to further intensify the search operation by gathering information and seeking assistance.

CCTV feeds have been scanned, his co-workers were being spoken to, and an intense search operation, including sniffer dogs, has been launched, the spokesman said.

An official in Imphal said that Imphal West and Kangpokpi police, along with Army teams under the personal supervision of 57 Mountain Division's GOC, are involved in the search operation.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh earlier urged the Army to undertake all-out efforts to locate and rescue Kamalbabu Singh and take responsibility for finding the missing person.

Leimakhong military station, located 16 km away from the capital Imphal, is surrounded by Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal-dominated areas.

After the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur in May last year, people belonging to the Meitei community fled the areas near Leimakhong village.

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