HC seeks Action Taken Report on missing persons
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 10 2026:
The High Court of Manipur on Monday directed a further Action Taken Report (ATR) be placed before it concerning cases of missing persons in a PIL seeking transfer of investigations to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or, alternatively, constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Court.
The matter was heard by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M Sundar and Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh in PIL no 3 of 2026, filed by the Families of Involuntarily Disappeared Association (FIDAM) and another against the Union of India and eight others.
Appearing for the PIL petitioners were W Basantakumar and Kohai Angshil, while the State was represented by Additional Advocate General S Chittaranjan, along with State counsel A Priyokumar Sharma who appeared for respondent nos 3 and 4 namely, the Director General of Police, Manipur and the Superintendent of Police, Bishnupur District.
The proceedings arise from the petitioners' contention that several persons who went missing during the conflict in Manipur remain untraced despite registration of FIRs and investigations by the State police.
Among the cases highlighted in the petition are FIR no 14(5) of 2023, Phougakchao Ikhai police station, concerning the disappearance of Naorem Prakash Singh (40), Leichombam Suraj (23) and Thongam Shyam Singh (33).The three were allegedly abducted on 11 May 2023 at around 8 am from Torbung Bangla, while attempting to retrieve goods and household belongings from their burnt houses.
The case was registered under Sections 363/364/365/34 IPC .
A complaint was subsequently filed before the Manipur Human Rights Commission.
The MHRC, while disposing of the complaint on 11 July 2024, directed the police to periodically communicate the progress and outcome of the investigation to the complainant.
According to the petition, however, no such updates have been provided and the three persons remain untraced.
Significantly, an investigation status report submitted by the SP, Bishnupur, on 20 June 2024 stated that the case involved the kidnapping/abduction of three youths belonging to the Meitei community, allegedly from a Kuki- dominated area, and described the matter as sensitive in view of incidents of killings of members of both communities.
The report further recorded that a proposal for transfer of the case to the CBI had been submitted on 4 January 2024 to the DGP, Manipur.
The petition also drew attention to another case concerning the disappearance of Maisnam Malemnganba, G Bony Sharma and P Abinash on 6 June 2023 .
According to the police report, the three went out riding on a Honda Activa and were last seen proceeding towards the Moirang side.
SDR/CDR analysis of the mobile phones used by Bony and Malemnganba was undertaken and frequently contacted numbers were examined.
However, according to the report, no concrete clue regarding their disappearance could be established and their mobile phones remained switched off.
The petition stated that the three were subsequently traced to their last known movement towards Kwakta Santhong, with their last geo-location reportedly falling in an area between Foljang Village and the western hillside of Kwakta Village.
The area was described in the petition as Kuki-dominated.
No assistance was received in tracing the missing persons.
In this case, FIR No.196(9)2023 BPR-PS was registered under Sections 365/34 IPC, and MHRC Complaint Case No.37/14/1/2024 was filed.
The MHRC, while disposing of the complaint on 11 July 2024, again directed the police to periodically communicate the progress and outcome of the investigation.
The petitioners stated that no such updates were provided and the three persons remain untraced.
The SP, Bishnupur's status report dated 20 May 2024 before the MHRC similarly recorded that the case involved the alleged kidnapping/abduction of three Meitei youths, probably from a Kuki-dominated area, and that, considering the incidents of killings of members of both communities, the case was "very sensitive" .
It also recorded that a proposal for transfer of the case to the CBI had been submitted to the DGP on 4 January 2024 through the same reference letter.
The High Court had earlier, on 15 April 2026, taken note of the communication dated 20 June 2024 from the SP, Bishnupur to the MHRC and the reference therein to the letter dated 4 January 2024 proposing transfer of cases to the CBI.
The Court had observed that the letter of 4 January 2024 had not been furnished either to the MHRC or to the petitioners' counsel before the Commission.
The Court had consequently issued limited notice to respondent nos 3 and 4 alone at that stage and sought production of the 4 January 2024 letter and an ATR from the DGP detailing the action taken on the SP's proposal.
The Court had also observed that, depending upon the developments in subsequent hearings, it would consider issuing notice to the other respondents.
In today's hearing, the Additional Advocate General informed the Court that the ATR was ready and sought a short accommodation to formally file it in the Registry.
The Court recorded that W Basantakumar, counsel on record for the PIL petitioners, had furnished a copy of the ATR together with its annexures in Court.
The ATR, according to the Court's order, broadly revealed that four cases/FIRs involving eight missing persons had since been transferred to the CBI .
However, counsel for the PIL petitioners pointed out that the petition concerns 16 cases involving 23 missing persons, as set out in paragraphs 11 to 28 of the PIL petition.
The Additional Advocate General submitted that further instructions were required regarding the remaining 12 cases/FIRs involving 15 missing persons and sought notice to respondent no 2, the State of Manipur through the Commissioner (Home), to enable the State to obtain instructions.
The High Court accordingly issued notice to respondent no 2, the Additional Advocate General, along with State counsel, accepted notice on behalf of the respondent.
The Court directed that the existing ATR, together with a further ATR concerning the remaining 12 cases/FIRs involving 15 missing persons, be placed before it at the next listing.
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