Retired Soldier Kidnapped, Body Found 2 Days Later In Manipur

A retired soldier kidnapped by "suspected Meitei insurgents" was found dead in Manipur on Monday after two days of extensive searches, an official said. A first information report (FIR) filed by the son of the man, whose body was found, alleged that "suspected Arambai Tenggol/Meitei insurgents" were behind his father's death.

NDTV has seen a copy of the 'zero FIR', which will be transferred to the police station under whose jurisdiction the body was found. 

The death comes amid fresh violence in Manipur since Friday, when six people were killed in the state's ethnically diverse Jiribam district, which was earlier largely untouched by the clashes.

Fighting broke out in the state bordering Myanmar in May 2023 between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the Kuki tribes who are dominant in southern Manipur's hill districts and a few other areas. The conflict has simmered since then, splitting previously cohabitating communities along ethnic lines.

Police sources said the body of Limlal Mate was found between Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts.

Sources have confirmed that Mate was a retired army man.

Mate's son, Thangminlun Mate, filed the FIR with the police in Kangpokpi. He alleged his father was kidnapped while on his way to the market in Shantipur to buy groceries during the weekend.

"Today (Monday), I learned through social media that my father was mercilessly killed in Phumlou area," Thangminlun Mate said in the FIR and demanded strong action against the killers.

Earlier today, hundreds of students protested in front of the Manipur secretariat and the Raj Bhavan in the state capital Imphal, seeking action against those behind the recent drone and rocket attacks. The students also called for protection of Manipur's "territorial and administrative integrity".

On Sunday, the state government during a meeting with the Governor had requested to be given control of the unified command, which oversees security operations in the state and includes different security agencies.