Manipur: Gunmen abduct journalist Yamben Laba, release him hours later
A former member of Manipur Human Rights Commission, Laba has often highlighted the role of the Biren Singh administration in perpetuating violence in Manipur
Gunmen on Tuesday abducted a senior journalist in Manipur, Yamben Laba, who has been a long-time critic of outgoing chief minister N Biren Singh but freed him after seven agonising hours, his family said.
Fifteen to 20 unidentified armed persons barged into Laba's house in Uripok Yambem Leikai in Imphal at around 3.30 am in the morning and took him away. Laba, who is 69 years old, is a special correspondent for The Statesman.
The criminals took the senior scribe away at gunpoint, the distraught family told the authorities.
According to a complaint lodged at the Imphal Police Station by his brother, a retired army major, the senior journalist was abducted hours after he had spoken to a local television channel about the rising armed groups in Manipur.
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Audacious kidnapping
The family approached the police around 7.30am. Some three hours later, Laba was handed over to the family at a police station, with no immediate word on who his abductors were.
No one claimed responsibility for the audacious kidnapping.
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Vocal journalist
Laba’s residence was attacked twice in the past four months. In his writings, Laba had often highlighted the role of the Biren Singh administration in perpetuating violence in the conflict-ridden state. Gunshots were even fired at his house when he wrote once that the choice before the people was to save either Manipur or Biren.
A former member of the Manipur Human Rights Commission, the veteran journalist has been vocal on various issues affecting the region such as the disappearance of young people in Manipur as well.
In October 2023, he was arrested on allegations of criminal intimidation. The National Human Rights Commission of India recently took up a case filed by Laba regarding a phone tapping complaint.
