Army has launched a massive search operation for the man who went missing from the fringe areas of the Imphal Valley two days ago.
Laishram Kamalbabu Singh, a native of Assam's Cachar district who lived in Khukrul in Imphal West, left home on Monday afternoon to report for work at the Leimakhong Military Station in Kangpokpi. He has been missing since then, an army spokesman was quoted by PTI saying.
The spokesman said Singh is a supervisor for a contractor working with the Military Engineering Services (MES) in Leimakhong Military Station. The army sprung into action after his family reported that Singh did not return home on the evening of November 25.
"The combing operation has been further intensified, spreading across the military station and adjoining villages. Drones and other aerial platforms have also been integrated," he said.
Army authorities are taking the help of region's CSOs (civil society organisations) to trace the missing individual. "The family has been assured of all efforts being undertaken for an early and safe return of Singh", PTI quoted the spokesperson saying.
The state police have also started an investigation, the spokesperson said.
The incident led to tensions in the fringe areas of the Imphal Valley on Tuesday with hundreds of people from the Meitei community beginning a march to the military station to know Singh's whereabouts. However, they were stopped midway near Kanto Sabal to prevent an escalation of the situation.
"Army has requested the Meitei CSOs to remove blockades for a free and swift movement of the armed forces and police," PTI quoted the spokesperson saying.
The protesters claimed it was likely that Singh was kidnapped by militants, and urged the state government to send additional forces for his rescue.
The military camp of the Army's 57 Mountain Division is some 16 km from the state capital Imphal and is surrounded by the hills where the Kuki people live. Meiteis who lived near Leimakhong fled after the ethnic violence began in May last year, claiming over 250 lives so far.
Meanwhile, The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over all three cases related to the Jiribam incidents. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday said in a press brief, "Mass combing operations are underway to nab the culprits involved in the recent killing of three women and three children in Jiribam district".
The CM added, "though there have been no arrests yet, many have been identified".
As per reports, three women and three children from the Meitei community went missing from a relief camp in Jiribam district following a gunfight between security forces and suspected Kuki-Zo militants, which resulted in the deaths of 10 insurgents on November 11.
The bodies of the six missing individuals were found in the following days.
Chief Minister Singh told media that the NIA has officially announced the re-registration of cases related to multiple Jiribam killing incidents, such as the killings of three women and three children, one woman at Jairokpokpi, a CRPF attack, and the deaths of 10 militants.
The Chief Minister also said, "Government will continue to demand and press for the removal of AFSPA from areas where it was reimposed".
