Army officer abducted from home in Manipur, search under way

Ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur leads to abduction of Indian Army officer, sparking coordinated search operation.

Amid the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, a serving Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army was abducted from his home in Thoubal district on the morning of March 8. A coordinated search operation is under way to rescue the officer, The Hindu has learnt. 

A source said that JCO Konsam Kheda Singh was abducted from his residence in a vehicle around 9 a.m., adding that the cause of the abduction is not yet known. They said that coordinated searches are under way and all vehicles plying along National Highway 102 are being checked.

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Ever since the conflict began in Manipur on May 3, 2023, between the dominant Valley-based Meitei people and the hills-based Scheduled Tribe Kuki-Zo people, at least 219 people have been killed and tens of thousands internally displaced.

This is the fourth instance of soldiers either on leave or on duty or their relatives being individually targeted since the conflict began. “The security forces working to bring peace and normalcy are being targetted for performing their duties,” the source said.

Days ago, an Additional Superintendent of Police of the Manipur Police had been attacked in his Imphal home on February 27 by members of the radical armed Meitei group Arambai Tenggol (AT). The incident had led to Manipur Police staging an arms-down protest seeking a free hand to deal with outfits like AT.

In November last year, five members of an Indian Army soldier’s family were kidnapped while they were travelling from Churachandpur to Leimakhong by an unidentified armed group, which killed four of the members.