Mass protest erupts as two boys go missing
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 06 2023: Mass protests erupted at Lamsang, Imphal and other areas as two teenagers went missing and remain untraceable from yesterday morning after they went to attend an oath-taking ceremony of a group at Sekmai.

According to some local people and family members of the missing teenagers namely; Avinash Maibam alias Khaba s/o Hemanta of Lamsang Phumlou Lambi Akham Awang Leikai and Ningthoujam Anthony s/o (L) Sunder of Lamsang Akham went out on a two-wheeler at around 9 am yesterday toward Sekmai.

Avinash Maibam alias Khaba is a Class X student of Don Bosco School, Langjing.

When family members made phone calls to the two boys at around noon yesterday, there was no response.

Mass protest erupts as two boys go missing

Deeply worried over not receiving any response to their repeated phone calls, the families went to Cyber Crime Police Station last night with a request to locate the mobile phones of the two missing boys.

After lodging a complaint at Lamsang police station, mobile phones of the two missing boys were located at Senapati area as informed by Cyber Crime Police Station and a requisition was sent to Senapati district police for searching the area where the phones were located.

Mobile phones of the missing boys were found at Senapati district headquarters near a petrol pump wrapped in a black plastic bag this morning but the boys and their bike could not be traced till the time this report was filed.

The two boys were seen crossing Kanglatongbi bridge and heading north in a CCTV camera footage which surfaced in social media.

Angry locals of the area came out on the street from early morning and blocked Uripok-Kangchup road at Iroisemba Mayai Leikai, Iroisemba Chingjin, Lamsang Bazar, Lamsang Akham and others by burning tyres and placing other objects in the middle of the road but no untoward incident was reported during the protest demonstration.

Students of Johnstone Higher Secondary School also staged a protest demonstrating urging the Government to rescue the two missing teenagers.

Starting from BT Road, the students took out a protest rally through Wahengbam Leikai and Keishampat.

The rally was blocked by police at Keishampat and it resulted in some disturbances to the flow of traffic.

The students shouted many slogans like "We condemn kidnapping of students", "Rescue the two missing students", "We want justice", "Long live, Manipur" etc.

Even though the students were forced to turn back from Keishampat on Tiddim Road, they turned around near Hodam Leirak and marched back to Keishampat.

This time police pushed back the protesters toward Wahengbam Leikai.

Meanwhile S Rajen Singh, MLA, Lamsang AC along with the parents and family members of the missing boys from Akham Awang Leikai, Imphal West called on Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan today and apprised the Governor of the circumstances leading to the disappearance of the two boys yesterday.

The team also submitted a memorandum to the Governor.

During the interaction with the parents, the Governor inquired about the incident in detail from the visiting team.

Anusuiya Uikey also spoke to DGP Rajiv Singh over phone and she was informed that combined search operations by security forces have been going on in suspected locations, according to a press release issued by the Governor's Secretariat.

She expressed anguish over the incident and assured the parents that she would extend all possible help in tracing the missing boys.

She urged the parents to stay positive and have hope that the boys will return safely.

Speaking to media persons, one of the locals appealed to those who detained/kidnapped the two boys to release them unharmed, and also asked the State Government to make intensified efforts to find the missing boys.

"If the Government fails to take up necessary steps by tomorrow, we will launch intense modes of agitation", said the worried local.

On the other hand, according to police sources, massive search operations have been launched in suspected areas of Kangpokpi, adjoining Senapati district by combined teams of State forces and Central paramilitary forces to find the two missing boys.

State security personnel have also been alerted at the adjoining areas of Imphal West district and Kangpokpi district to prevent any kind of unwanted incident as the situation is very tense following the disappearance of the two boys since Sunday afternoon.

IGP Zone 1 Themthing Ngasangva and other high ranking police officers of State Police are also stationed at Sekmai police station from this morning.

Three persons detained

Manipur Police Control Room, in a late statement, said three persons have been detained in connection with the missing case.

The three persons were detained for interrogation and verification in connection with the incident from Kangpokpi district, said the PCR.

The police said search operations were launched in Khengjang and K Lhangnom villages of Kangpokpi district, and the three persons were detained in the operations.

Search operation to trace the missing students is still on, said the PCR.