Three Meitei youths go missing in Imphal West, 1 rescued, search for other 2 on

Three young men from Manipur’s Meitei community, which has been engaged in an ethnic conflict with another tribal group, the Kukis, have gone missing in Imphal district, police said on Saturday.
The men, who had gone for a Staff Selection Commission General Duty, went missing at around 3 PM on Friday, with their families losing contact during that time, police said.
One of the missing individuals was rescued by combined security forces from the Kangpokpi area and handed over to Imphal Police, a senior official said.
The rescued person has been identified as Ningombam Johnson Singh from Thoubal Khekman Maning Leikai.
However, the whereabouts of the other two individuals, identified as Oinam Thoithoi from Thoubal Leishangthem Awang Leikai and Thokchom Thoithoiba from Thoubal Khekman Wangmataba Mayai Leikai, remain unknown.
According to police, the last known cell phone location of the two missing individuals was traced to the Kanglatongbi area.
Imphal police informed India Today TV that Johnson is still in their custody, and he has met with his family members. He will be handed over to his family once official permission from the relevant authorities is received.
In response to the incident, a public meeting was held on Saturday morning at Thoubal Khekman Jila Keithel in Thoubal district, where a Joint Action Committee (JAC) was formed.
The JAC subsequently submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Thoubal District, urging him to take immediate action for the rescue of the two remaining missing youths.
Manipur has two locations named Keithelmanbi. New Keithelmanbi is located in Imphal West district along NH-37 (Imphal-Silchar via Jiribam), while the other, simply named Keithelmanbi, is located in Kangpokpi district.
The concerns for the security and safety of the missing men assume even greater gravity in the wake of the ethnic violence between the members of the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo community that has been going on for over a year now.
The ethnic violence in Manipur first broke out on May 3 last year after a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts of the state to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
Since then, over 220 people belonging to both the Kuki and Meitei communities and security personnel have been killed in the continuing violence.