Manipur Home Minister Promises More Arrests in Naga Civilians' Case
Ongoing Investigations into Naga Civilians' Abduction
File image of family members holding photographs of six abducted Naga civilians and stand in the premises of JNIMS mortuary. (Photo:PTI)
Imphal, July 13: The Home Minister of Manipur, Govindas Konthoujam, announced on Monday that authorities anticipate further arrests in the case involving the abduction and murder of six Naga civilians. This comes as security forces ramp up their operations in response to growing public anger regarding the incident.
During a press briefing at the new Secretariat in Mantripukhri, Konthoujam stated that the current operation is focused on capturing all individuals implicated in the killings.
"We have apprehended two suspects already, and we expect to make additional arrests shortly. Our efforts to detain everyone involved are ongoing, and we hope to achieve more within the next two days," he remarked.
These comments follow the recent arrests of two suspects linked to the abduction and murder of the six Naga civilians in Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13.
On Sunday, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh revealed that the families of the victims had identified five individuals allegedly connected to the crime, with two already in custody.
The incident has sparked widespread protests throughout the state, with Naga organizations calling for justice. The remains of the six victims are still held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) mortuary as part of the ongoing demonstrations.
In response to inquiries about recent violence in Kanto Sabal, where abandoned homes were set on fire despite the area's proximity to the Leimakhong military station and the presence of security forces, Konthoujam condemned the violence as regrettable.
"Such incidents occur unexpectedly. We strongly denounce this violence. There was a significant security presence, but something went awry," he stated.
The Home Minister noted that police had detained 20 individuals on the day of the incident, with only three remaining in custody.
"We detained 20 people that day. Currently, three are still held, while the others have been released. We are actively pursuing more suspects, and further actions will be taken," he added.
Addressing concerns regarding the violence occurring near a military facility, Konthoujam assured that security forces have been instructed to maintain heightened vigilance.
Personnel from the Manipur Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and other security agencies are already deployed in the area, with plans to reinforce security with additional forces.
He also mentioned that Chief Minister Khemchand Singh led a high-level security review meeting on Sunday evening to evaluate the law and order situation and discuss further actions.
"We will be deploying more security personnel to the area," the Home Minister confirmed.