Demonstrators demand release of abducted Manipuri student

IMPHAL - Scores of students and social activists staged a mass protest here on Friday seeking immediate intervention of the State authorities for the release of abducted student Yumnam Manaoba.

Manaoba, a student of Biramangol College, was kidnapped from his home on July 19 for monetary gains.

“We are protesting in a massive way. Student bodies of various social organisations are participating in this movement so that the militants release Manaoba as soon as possible without any harm. We will stage more such protests if he is not released,” said Shyam Singh, Convenor of the Joint Action Committee.

During the rally, the participants shouted anti-militancy slogans and demanded safe release of Yumnam Manaoba.

“As citizens, we are standing up against frequent torture meted out to us. We condemn the incident. Such incident will hamper development,” said Purnimashi Devi, chief of the All India Youth Federation.

After the mass rally, a memorandum was submitted to Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh demanding deployment of full-scale police forces, to open a police commando outpost, deployment of village defence forum (VDF) in each and every village of Lamlai assembly constituency to prevent frequent threatening, extortion, abduction, etc.

The abductors are reported to be militants of some terror outfit, who asked for fixing up a meeting with Manipur Health and Family Welfare Minister Parijat Singh, as they wanted to undertake a contracted (outsourced) project for the ongoing renovation of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS). (ANI)