The apex Tangkhul body alleged the villagers were illegally detained during a joint security operation and warned of civil unrest if they are not released within 24 hours
Ukhrul: The Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), the apex body of the Tangkhul Naga community, has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Manipur government, demanding the immediate release of four villagers detained during a joint security operation and warning of widespread civil unrest if its demand is not met.
In a statement issued on July 14, the TNL alleged that the four villagers from Sharkaphung (Sikibung) village were apprehended during a combing operation carried out by a joint team comprising the Police, Assam Rifles, Punjab Regiment, Madras Regiment and Bihar Regiment in TM Kason, Sharkaphung and Lungphu villages.
The organisation identified the detainees as Wungphayo Kasar (24), Ningleum (29), Makamlunglung (24) and Vareiyo Lungleng (56), claiming they were taken into custody between 8 am and 9 am on July 14. It alleged that the villagers were later shifted to Porompat Police Station in Imphal East district.
Condemning the operation, the TNL alleged that security forces targeted innocent civilians while failing to act against armed groups operating in neighbouring areas. It also claimed that searches extended to churches and residential premises without the involvement of the local police.
Police, however, said the detentions were made during an intelligence-based operation to apprehend suspects linked to the July 6 ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy in Ukhrul district, in which two security personnel were killed.
The TNL warned that failure to release the detainees within 24 hours could trigger widespread public unrest. No further response has been issued by the Manipur government or security agencies.
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