Personnel of a Village Defence Force (VDF) who went to destroy poppy cultivation on January 16 at Urantop hill of Chandel district have gone missing since January 21 and a search for the personnel is underway.
The All-Manipur VDF Welfare Association has appealed to the state government to extend support in finding the missing VDF personnel, Ningombam Premananda Singh, son of N Dina of Thoubal Okram Maning Leikai.
Addressing the press Monday at the Manipur Press Club, secretary of the association, Md Idrish said that under chief minister N Biren’s ‘War on Drugs.02’ campaign, the SP of Thoubal district ordered 49 VDF, 2 ASI, 5 Home Guard, 14 police constable, totalling 70 police personnel, to report to OC Chakpikarong on January 16. Following the order, the team reported on January 16 and stayed till January 20 at Chakpikarong PS and on January 20 itself, the team left for Phaisi village, Chandel district.
He continued that they headed towards Urantop hill, near Indo-Myanmar border and around 1 0pm, after dinner, they went to sleep at a temporary tank. Then, around 2-3am, it was known that Ningombam Premananda was missing.
A search is underway by the team of CDO, VDF, AR personnel along with the Narcotics and Forest Department under the supervision of SP Thoubal, he said.
Stating that Premananda’s family is in trauma, the association urged the state government to involve the NDRF or SDRF team while searching for him.
