NEW DELHI, Mar 8: The serving Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army Naib Subedar Konsam Kheda Singh, who was on Friday morning abducted from his home in Thoubal district in Manipur, was rescued the same evening after hours-long search operation launched by security forces in the state.
Official sources said the JCO of Thoubal’s Charangpat Mamang Leikai, was on leave and was abducted from his residence in a vehicle around 9 am on Friday, adding that the cause of the abduction is not yet known.
Later the same evening the “synergised efforts” of security forces resulted in the officer’s rescue around 6:30 pm and that he was taken to the Waikhong police station near Kakching. The Manipur Police is said to have begun its investigation in this case.
The Indian Army through a spokesperson later said on X, “#IndianArmy rescued it’s JCO, Nb Sub Konsam Kheda Singh, of Charangpat Mamang Leikai, Thoubal, #Manipur, abducted this morning, while on leave. @manipur_police is investigating the case.” This statement came from the Official account of the Public Relations Officer (PRO) & Spokesperson, Ministry of Defence, Nagaland, Manipur & Southern Arunachal Pradesh.
This is the fourth instance of soldiers either on leave or on duty or their relatives being targetted since the ethnic conflict began in the State last May between the dominant valley-based Meitei people and the hills-based Scheduled Tribe Kuki-Zo people. “The security forces working to bring peace and normalcy are being targeted for performing their duties,” one source said.
Ever since the conflict, Army personnel posted for duty in the State have been met with resistance from civilian groups like the Meira Paibi (women’s group of the Meitei community), while personnel of the Manipur Police have been resisted by the Kuki-Zo people of the state.
Throughout last year, the Kuki-Zo people have insisted on removing Manipur Police personnel from areas like Moreh, which are dominated by their people, accusing it of taking the side of the Meitei community in the conflict. There have also been instances where Army personnel – specifically from units of the Assam Rifles – were routinely stopped from going into areas of conflict by women of the Meitei community – Meira Paibis’; and of instances when the women were seen checking the Army personnel’s IDs to identify their ethnicity.
(Manas Dasgupta)
