Case of six abducted Naga villagers to be handed over to NIA — Manipur CM

IMPHAL — Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday informed a delegation of United Naga Council (UNC) that the case relating to the alleged abduction of six Naga villagers would be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), according to a press release issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Imphal.

The chief minister was responding to the UNC’s demand to trace the missing villagers during a meeting held at the CM Secretariat.

“The chief minister told the UNC delegation that the case of the six abducted Nagas will be handed over to the NIA,” the press release stated. It added that the killing of three church leaders in Kangpokpi district on May 13 had already been handed over to the NIA.

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According to the release, the chief minister said that search and rescue operations had been underway since May 14 to trace the whereabouts of the six missing villagers.

The chief minister also appealed to the UNC to help secure the release of 14 Kuki civilians who were allegedly being held captive since the May 13 incident in which three church leaders were killed in an ambush in Kangpokpi district.

It stated that a group of Naga civilians was also allegedly abducted on the same day. While some were reportedly released on May 15, the whereabouts of the six villagers remained unknown.