Three weeks on, six Naga men remain missing; Manipur High Court seeks answers

Imphal, June 5: More than three weeks after six Naga men disappeared in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, the mystery surrounding their fate has reached the High Court, with judges directing the state government to explain what exactly has been done to find them.

The six men have not been seen since May 13.

Their disappearance traces back to a violent day in the hills of Manipur when a group of Naga civilians travelling near Leilon Vaiphei village was intercepted amid rising tensions in the region. While several women and children who were reportedly detained were later released, six Naga men never returned home. Since then, families have been waiting for answers, with no confirmed information on whether the men are alive or dead.

On Thursday, a Division Bench of the Manipur High Court directed the state government to submit an Action Taken Report by June 8 after hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Naga Lawyers’ Association, Manipur. The court has sought details of search operations, investigation progress and efforts made to trace the missing men.

The hearing also brought to light an apparent confusion over the investigation itself.

While the Manipur government had earlier indicated that the case was being transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), submissions before the High Court suggested that the agency had not yet formally received the case. The court is now expected to seek clarity on the status of the probe when the matter comes up again next week.

The case has sparked growing anxiety across Naga areas of the state. Student bodies, civil society organisations and community groups have organised marches and demonstrations demanding that authorities intensify efforts to locate the missing men. Protesters say the silence surrounding the case has deepened fears among the families.

The investigation has yielded some movement. Security forces last month arrested four men suspected of having links to the abduction during a joint operation involving Manipur Police, Assam Rifles and the CRPF. Officials said their precise role would be determined during the course of the investigation.

For many in Manipur, however, the larger question remains unanswered.

The disappearance of the six men has become the latest reminder of the insecurity that continues to haunt parts of the state even as authorities work to restore normalcy after years of ethnic tensions and violence.

As the High Court awaits a detailed status report on June 8, six families continue to wait for the one piece of information they have not received in more than three weeks: where their loved ones are.

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