Kidnappings fuel Manipur tension

IMPHAL: Tension gripped the remote Jessami village in Ukhrul district after six of its villagers were abducted by a large number of armed men from neighbouring Nagaland on Wednesday morning.

Though the six abducted, including a village defence force (VDF) personnel, were released late at night after the intervention of the state authorities, security has been beefed up in the area to thwart possible outbreaks of violence following the renewed border land dispute.

On Wednesday morning, the abducted men were tending to a paddy field in Jessami when the miscreants who belong to Melourie village in Nagaland's Phek district intruded into Manipur territory and whisked them away to their village, local sources said. The kidnappers were armed with guns and knives.

Following the intervention of the Chingai constituency MLA Preshow Shimray, Ukhurl district's deputy commissioner and superintendent of police insisted on their Nagaland counterparts to secure the release of the six.

Manipur chief secretary DS Poonia also intimated about the matter, along with his Nagaland counterpart, official sources said.

"Other than the VDF volunteer who was beaten badly by the abductors, there had been no major casualty in the incident. We have registered an FIR," Ukhrul SP, K Kabib, told TOI.

"Following the incident, we have beefed up security at Jessami. The police have been asked to stay on a red alert to ensure such incidents do not recur," the SP added.

There have been reports of Melorie villagers encroaching upon land in Jessami, resulting in sparking of tension at the border areas.

Following such incidents, the Jessami police station had been upgraded with the induction a sub-divisional police and large number of VDF personnel a few years ago.

Meanwhile, Ukhurl police have recovered the head of Mahatama Gandhi's statue that was found missing from its erection site at Ukhrul district headquarters. In the wee hours of Sunday, the head of the Mahatma Gandhi statue erected at Gandhi Chowk close to Ukhrul town hall was found missing, forcing the cops to launch a massive manhunt to pull up the miscreants.

Four persons, including a VDF personnel, has been arrested in connection with the act of vandalism with the VDF man being dismissed from his service.

The statue's head was found in the office complex of the public works department at the district headquarters, police sources said.