Days after three men reportedly went missing while on their way to a recruitment test for central forces at New Keithelmanbi in Manipur's Imphal West, one of them has swiftly been rescued, the authorities said on Sunday.
According to the information received, the three youths identified as N. Johnson Singh, Th. Thoithoiba Singh, and O. Thoithoi Singh, hailing from Thoubal district, were on their way to appear for the SSC GD recruitment test; however, they ended up taking a wrong turn, leading them to arrive in the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district. They were later allegedly held captive by the Kuki militants.
While N. Johnson Singh has now been rescued by the army and has been handed to the police, the authorities said efforts are continuing to be underway to locate the remaining youths, Th. Thoithoiba Singh and O. Thoithoi Singh.
Moreover, earlier in the day, a purported viral video featuring the two missing youths also surfaced on the internet, where they were appealing to Chief Minister N. Biren Singh for their release. The two men in white T-shirts were seen asking the Chief Minister to save their lives and fulfil the demands granted by their kidnappers. But no substantiated information about the kidnappers' demands was received.
Meanwhile, in response to the ongoing scenario, Chief Minister N Biren Singh held a meeting with the MLAs of the Manipur Assembly. Talking to X (formerly Twitter), he released the details of the deliberations held among the authorities. He said, "Held a meeting with all the MLAs from both the ruling and opposition parties at my secretariat today. Addressed the current situation in the state, particularly focusing on the rescue of the abduction of two innocent youths by Kuki militants."
"We condemn such heinous acts, and our government is working to secure the safe release of the victims," he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
READ MORE | Manipur: Shutdown call by Kukis affects normal life in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi districts
READ MORE | Manipur Police, Army conduct search operations, recover explosives in Churachandpur
