Man allegedly abducted and beaten in Manipur's Kanglatongbi; family say identity was motive

A Nepali-origin man, who legally adopted a Kuki identity after marrying a Kuki woman, has alleged that he was abducted and assaulted by a group of Liangmei Naga volunteers along with suspected members of Arambai Tenggol at Kanglatongbi in Manipur’s Imphal West district on May 19.

 

The victim, identified as Ramesh Bhandari, also known as Thangtinlen Doungel, is a registered internally displaced person (IDP) under Saitu Sub-Division. According to his family, he had gone to Kanglatongbi Bazar Board to purchase rice when the incident allegedly took place.

 

Family members alleged that he was blindfolded, tied up and physically assaulted for several hours before being released following the intervention of leaders from the Gorkha community. He was later reunited with his wife and reportedly received treatment at a local hospital for multiple injuries.

 

Speaking about the incident, his wife, Nemlam Doungel, said her husband had left home to buy essential supplies but returned with injuries across his body. She stated that the family had been displaced due to the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur and was currently residing in the Saparmeina area.

 

She said the couple married in 2012 and lived in her native village in Kangpokpi district after marriage. According to her, her husband voluntarily embraced Christianity and legally changed his name from Ramesh Bhandari to Thangtinlen Doungel in 2016, with official documents including his Aadhaar card updated accordingly.

 

The family currently earns a livelihood through work at a water bottling firm supplying water in Saparmeina and nearby areas, she added.

 

Recounting the alleged assault, the victim claimed he was stopped while attempting to buy rice and was asked to produce identification documents by volunteers monitoring the movement of essential commodities towards the Kangpokpi side.

 

He alleged that after failing to produce his Aadhaar card, his bag was searched and documents carrying his Kuki name were found. He further claimed that he was then blindfolded, taken to multiple locations and assaulted during interrogation despite explaining his Nepali background and legal name change.

 

The victim alleged that he remained blindfolded throughout the ordeal and was released only after intervention by community leaders later in the afternoon.

The incident has drawn reactions from members of the displaced Kuki-Zo community, who alleged that the assault reflected growing concerns over civilians being targeted on the basis of identity amid the continuing ethnic tensions in the state.