Manipur HC seeks report from govt on abduction of 6 Naga villagers

Imphal: The Manipur high court on Thursday directed the state government to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) on the abduction of six Naga villagers from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district, whose whereabouts remain unknown more than three weeks after the incident.

The direction came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking urgent intervention to secure the safe release of the six individuals, who were allegedly abducted on May 13.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, advocate D Julius Riamei, counsel for the petitioner, said, “The court directed the state govt to file an ATR by Monday, detailing the steps taken so far to trace the six abducted persons.”

“Nobody knows their whereabouts. We do not know whether they are safe, alive, or dead. More than 20 days have passed since they were abducted,” he said.

According to Riamei, the court specifically instructed the govt to provide a comprehensive account of all measures undertaken since the abduction.

The hearing also highlighted an apparent contradiction regarding the status of the investigation. While the Manipur govt, in a communication to the United Naga Council (UNC), indicated that the case was being investigated by the NIA, the deputy solicitor general reportedly informed the court that the agency had not received any intimation from the state govt regarding the matter.

“The deputy solicitor general stated before the court that the NIA is yet to receive any intimation from the state government. This submission has also been recorded by the court,” Riamei said.