Shockwaves in Manipur: Abduction by Proscribed Outfit Raises Alarm

Two women from a banned outfit were arrested in Manipur for allegedly abducting minors for recruitment. After investigating, the children were rescued, tied to ongoing ethnic tensions disrupting the region. The violence has claimed over 260 lives, leading to the imposition of President’s rule in the state.

Two women from a proscribed organization in Manipur's Thoubal district have been detained by authorities for supposedly abducting three minors for forced recruitment, local police announced on Wednesday.

Identified as cadres of the outlawed Prepak group, they were apprehended from Khangabok on Monday, according to a senior police officer. The detentions are part of an investigation started following the alleged abduction of the three children in Kakching district on Sunday. The children were subsequently rescued and returned to their families in Imphal West district.

This incident is part of a broader ethnic conflict that has ensnared Manipur since May 2023, resulting in over 260 fatalities and severe displacement. Following the outbreak of violence, the state has been under President's rule, impacting political stability and daily life for its citizens.

(With inputs from agencies.)