Thokchom Thoithoiba and Oinam Thoithoi, abducted by Kuki militants, were released early morning after community-led negotiations. Their return highlights ongoing tensions in Manipur.
Thokchom Thoithoiba and Oinam Thoithoi, abducted by Kuki militants, were released early morning after community-led negotiations. Their return highlights ongoing tensions in Manipur.
Imphal:In a recent development, Thokchom Thoithoiba and Oinam Thoithoi, two young men abducted by suspected Kuki militants on September 27, were released early this morning. They were handed over to the Superintendent of Police in Kangpokpi around 5 AM after being missing for nearly a week.
Sources suggest that the safe return of the duo was facilitated through negotiations involving community leaders and local authorities. Details concerning their condition and the circumstances surrounding their abduction have not yet been disclosed.
Prior to their release, Manipur MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam made an urgent plea to Home Minister Amit Shah, emphasizing the need for their safe return amid escalating communal violence in the state since May 2023.
The abduction took place while the three young men were traveling from Thoubal district to New Keithelmanbi for an SSC GD recruitment test. While one youth was rescued by the Assam Rifles, Thoithoiba and Thoithoi were held captive until their release.
MP Akoijam expressed concern over the circumstances of the rescue, noting the puzzling nature of how only one individual was saved from the group. He also revealed that the abductors had demanded the release of Mark T Haokip, currently in judicial custody for an NIA case, along with the transfer of Kuki prisoners from Imphal jails. Condemning these demands, Akoijam stated, “Hostage-taking for negotiations is an act of terrorism that we must resolutely oppose.”
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