Imphal residents seek release of abducted boy

IMPHAL: A large number of women, school teachers and students on Wednesday demonstrated in the Takyel area of Imphal West demanding the immediate release of a 13-year-old boy, allegedly taken by rebels for recruitment as a child soldier.

Though there have been reports of outfits recruiting children from the valley districts in the last few years, most outfits operating in the state denied the reports, saying that they respect and follow international laws.

On April 7, Aheibam Johnson, a student of class 7, was taken away from his Takel Kolom residence by a local youth, Kanhai, who is reported to have links with an underground outfit, said Purnimashi Devi, the boy's grandmother.

Incidentally Johnson's uncle, a cadre of an underground outfit, was gunned down by police commandos in February 2009.