After three days, abducted All Manipur Gorkha Students' Union Charhajare unit president Roshan Uprety was rescued and handed over to his family by a combined team of security forces late Tuesday.
According to the district police, following a tip-off about a hideout of the abductors along with the abducted persons in an isolated location on the eastern side of the Koubru range, a combined team of Kangpokpi District police, Assam Rifles, and CDOs launched a search operation in the specified area about 5 km west of Mangjol village in Kangpokpi district at around 3:30 pm Tuesday.
On reaching the suspected hideout, one person was found, while others, taking advantage of the thick jungle, fled from the spot. Later, the individual was identified as Roshan Uprety, 35, son of Somnath Uprety of Charhajare and taken into police custody at Gamnom Saparmeina Police Station, the police said.
Roshan was later handed over to his family after a medical examination at PHC Gamphazol, the police said, adding that the search operation was still going to trace the abductors.
The police said a complaint was received by OC Gamnom Saparmeina Police Station at around 6:30 pm on October 16 that a person namely Roshan Uprety, age 35, son of Somnath Uprety of Charhajare under Gamnom Saparmeina Police Station was abducted by three-four unknown miscreants from Charhajare bazar. The abductors fired one round of blank fire at the time of the abduction and fled away in a white car.
A case was registered in Gamnom Saparmeina Police Station, and the police team under the supervision of IGP(Zone-III), DIG(Range-IV) led by SP Kangpokpi swung into action into search operation the same evening along with Assam Rifles, CDO teams from Imphal East, Imphal West and Special Commando and CRPF.
However, the non-SoO Kuki militant outfit, the Kuki National Front-Nehlun (KNF-N) said in a statement after claiming responsibility for the abduction that they had released the abducted person safe and sound.
The outfit's information and publicity secretary, Gou@Kuki stated that Roshan Uprety was abducted in connection with the July 10, 2022 incident at Charhajare where two of its cadres were apprehended by the Charhajare's Nepali and handed over to the police along with their arms.
"In connection with the July 10 incident we had on several occasions asked and summoned the authorities of Charhajare village to compromise the issue to avoid any misunderstanding in the future but they blatantly neglected it for the past three months," he said.
He clarified that Roshan was abducted not for ransom but to bring an amicable compromise over the July 10 incident while stating, "If we go by the organization's rules he should be given direct capital punishment but for the sake of humanity, peace, and harmony we are in favor of compromising the issue according to the Kuki customary law".
Later in the evening, the outfit stated that Roshan was released purely on humanitarian grounds considering the situation of his wife, children, and parents' prayer.
It stated that the Gorkha civil bodies of Charhajare and the JAC had in fact no concern at all for Roshan's life and that of his family and never initiated any attempt to bring a compromise in connection with the July 10 incident even after the abduction.
The outfit stated there had been no compromise till now over the July 10 incident and if any untoward incidents happen in the future, the Gorkha civil bodies of Charhajare and JAC should be held solely responsible. Saying that various Gorkha bodies are not in favor of peace and harmony in the district, it threatened that such organizations will be in trouble.
Meanwhile, a suspect, identified as Letmang Tuboi has been arrested and remanded in police custody. Search operations are still going on to nab the culprits involved in the abduction, police said.
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