The Manipur High Court has ordered the formation of a four-member committee to investigate the disappearance of a 56-year-old man who went missing from an army camp in Leimakhong, Kangpokpi district, on November 25.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar and Justice Golmei Gaiphulsillu Kabui issued the directive on December 3. The court recommended that the committee include the District Magistrate of Kangpokpi, the Superintendents of Police from Kangpokpi and Imphal West, and the Commanding Officer of the 57 Mountain Division. The District Magistrate will lead the committee, which is tasked with submitting a detailed report during the next hearing on December 11.
The court instructed the committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the missing man, Laishram Kamalbabu Singh. The inquiry will determine whether he was abducted from the high-security camp or left on his own.
The petitioner’s family has been asked to cooperate with the committee by providing any relevant materials or records they possess. The committee head is also required to notify the family to appear for the inquiry.
Singh, originally from Assam’s Cachar district, was residing in Khukrul, Imphal West. He worked as a supervisor for a contractor associated with the Military Engineering Services (MES) at the Leimakhong Military Station under the 57 Mountain Division. His younger brother, Laishram Brajabanshi Singh, filed a writ petition on November 27, alleging that Kamalbabu had been abducted by militants from the high-security zone.
In response to the case, sit-in demonstrations were held across the Imphal Valley on Wednesday, with protesters demanding intensified efforts to locate the missing man.
They also called for the withdrawal of National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases against Arambai Tenggol leader Korounganba Khuman.
