Manipur High Court seeks action taken report on abduction of six Naga civilians

The High Court of Manipur on Thursday, June 4 directed the state government to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) by Monday regarding the abduction of six Naga civilians who were allegedly kidnapped by Kuki armed groups more than 20 days ago.

The direction came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking urgent judicial intervention in the case. The petition concerns six Naga civilians who were reportedly abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13. Their whereabouts remain unknown, raising concerns over their safety and security.

According to counsel for the petitioners, Advocate D. Jilius Riamei, the PIL was filed by Advocate Mark Khapai, President of the Naga Lawyers' Association, Manipur, in view of the continued uncertainty surrounding the fate of the abducted individuals.

The petition seeks directions to the state and central governments, along with relevant security agencies, to intensify efforts to trace the missing persons, ascertain their whereabouts, and secure their safe release at the earliest.

During the hearing, Riamei informed the court that the Manipur government had reportedly stated that the case had been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). However, the Deputy Solicitor General of India informed the court that the NIA had not received any official communication or intimation from the state government regarding the case as of Thursday.

Taking note of the submissions, the High Court directed the state government to furnish an Action Taken Report detailing the measures initiated to trace the abducted civilians and the progress made in the investigation.

The matter is expected to come up again before the court on Monday, when the state government will be required to present its report on the steps taken to locate and secure the release of the six missing Naga civilians.