NEW DELHI, Sept 18 (NNN-PTI) – An off-duty Indian army trooper was killed, after his abduction in India’s north-eastern state of Manipur, officials said today.
The 41-year-old trooper was abducted by three unidentified gunmen on Saturday, from his home at Tarung-Neikailong in Imphal West district.
His body with a bullet hole in his head was found on a road yesterday.
“An Indian Army soldier, Sepoy Serto Thangthang Kom (41), was abducted and later killed, by three unidentified miscreants, while on leave at Tarung, Happy Valley, Imphal West,” a statement issued by the Indian Army last night said.
Officials said, the trooper, survived by his wife and two children, was on leave from Sept 3, for 15 days.
Manipur has seen tensions since May 3, when large-scale violence broke out there during a tribal protest, over inclusion of the non-tribal Meiteis community for a scheduled tribe status, which is designated for disadvantaged socio-economic groups, and gives them reservations in education and government jobs.
Ethnic clashes between the majority Meitei group and the tribal Kuki minority have displaced 60,000 people. The mobs in the state were reported to have resorted to vandalism and arson targeting houses and shops.
As per figures released by police last week, 175 people have been killed, 1,118 injured and 33 reported missing, since May 3, due to the violence. Police said 96 bodies were still unclaimed in local hospitals.
Police said 5,172 cases of arson have been reported, targeting 4,786 houses and 386 religious places.
Weapons looted from the state armoury since the beginning of the violence amounted to 5,668 in number, with only 1,329 of them, so far, recovered.– NNN-PTI
