Residents of Machenluang village in Tamei subdivision of Tamenglong district resolved not to claim the body of Athuan Abonmai until government arrest and punish the kidnappers and assassins
TFM News Service
A day after shocking assassination of advisor of Zeliangrong Baudi Athuan Abonmai, two short video clips emerged on Thursday showing his abduction before the very eyes of heavy police and paramilitary forces present for chief minister’s visit to Tamenglong headquarters.
In the viral video clips, the security forces were seen watching Athuan Abonmai’s attempt to resist the abduction by suspected NSCN (I-M) cadres like a mute spectator. They did not even try to intervene and let the miscreants get away with Athuan Abonmai.
Meanwhile, residents of Machenluang village in Tamei subdivision of Tamenglong district resolved that they will not claim the body of Athuan Abonmai until the government arrests and punishes the kidnappers and assassins. Holding the stage government responsible for the assassination, the villagers questioned how miscreants could abduct a civilian Athuan Abonmai amidst tight security for chief minister visit.
Athuan Abonmai was abducted by suspected NSCN (I-M) cadres from the gate of the ground where the state government’s outreach programme “Go to Hills 2.0” was held.
Soon after the abduction, his son Arai Abonmai filed an FIR at Lamphel police station where he alleged that his father Thuan Abonmai was abducted by NSCN (I-M) cadres from Pologround in Tamenglong headquarters around 11.30am.
“As there is apprehension that my father may be harmed, I prayed that immediate measures be taken up to rescue my father,” he wrote to police seeking prompt action.
The Joint Tribe Council (JTC) of the Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme issued a statement urging those responsible for the kidnapping to “release him safely at the earliest on humanitarian ground”.
Later in the evening, Athuan Abonmai was found shot dead near a stone crushing unit near Palong village and Lalamba village between Tamei and Tamenglong.
Sources said that community leaders, while expressing shock with the news, felt that the death of Apou Athaun Abonmai is a great loss for the Zeliangrong community. “He was a mentor and a true guidance for many of us. His body was found near Pallong”, they said.