Guwahati: Students, the ruling BJP, and the Women and Child Commissions have all called for the release of six abducted members of a family, taken by militants on Thursday.

According to reports, the victims were kidnapped by members of the Kuki militant group at approximately 2:45 p.m. following a violent attack on CRPF personnel stationed in Jakuradhor Karong, Jiribam district. The missing individuals include an 8-year-old girl, two young boys, a 25-year-old woman, and two elderly women.

During the attack, the assailants also set fire to multiple Meitei homes and shops, resulting in the deaths of two elderly Meitei individuals.

In response, students across Manipur marked Children’s Day as “Black Children’s Day,” holding protests demanding the safe release of the kidnapped family members, including a 10-month-old infant. Protestors carried placards with messages such as, “No Children’s Day until the captured children are released,” “Black Children’s Day,” and “Mr. CM, we demand the release of the victims as a Children’s Day gift.” The crowd chanted slogans emphasizing the urgent need for the release of the abducted individuals.

A student protester expressed the collective grief, stating that celebrating Children’s Day felt hollow given the tragic situation. “We are all in shock and deeply saddened by this act of violence against innocent children and women. The government must take immediate steps to secure their release,” they stated.

The protest was organized by the student wing of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which also criticized the government for failing to secure the release of the hostages.

The Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW) and the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) jointly condemned the abduction of three minors and three women from Jiribam district on November 11, 2024. In a series of appeals, both commissions urged the immediate and safe release of the victims, highlighting the humanitarian urgency.

MSCW Chairperson Thumlip Tiningpham Monsang issued a statement expressing deep concern for the abducted civilians’ safety. “We strongly condemn the abduction and appeal for their immediate release on humanitarian grounds,” said Monsang. “Women and children must be spared from such violence, and their dignity and safety should be upheld under all circumstances.”

In a similar appeal, MCPCR Chairperson Keisam Pradipkumar condemned the attack as a violation of international humanitarian laws, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Manipur BJP President Sharda Devi on Thursday also called for the immediate release of the abducted family members. She described the abduction of the three women and three children from Borobekra and Jakuradhor in Jiribam as “unfortunate” and demanded their release on humanitarian grounds.

“We demand the immediate release of the abducted six family members without harm, on humanitarian grounds. We, from the BJP, appeal to the armed miscreants for their release,” Sharda Devi stated during a press briefing at the BJP office.

Actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty found himself in a sticky situation after his wallet was stolen from his pocket during his mega roadshow in Jharkhand on Tuesday. The actor campaigned for BJP in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, and that is when he got pickpocketed, leaving the organisers red-faced.

A video from the rally has now gone viral in which the organisers and other BJP karyakartas can be heard repeatedly requesting the pickpockets to return the veteran star’s wallet. “Whoever has stolen the wallet, please return it to Mithun Da,” a BJP member was seen urging the crowd.

Despite repeated pleas, the wallet was not returned.

Chakraborty led a massive roadshow in the Nirsa Assembly area of Jharkhand to extend his support to BJP candidate Aparna Sen Gupta. Thousands of people gathered at the venue to catch one glimpse of the star, and it led to major chaos and mismanagement at the spot.

Despite security forces in place, the crowd went out of control and rushed towards the stage to click photos and videos of the actor and see him from up close. It was during this chaos that Chakraborty’s wallet was stolen.

Disappointed by the fiasco, Chakraborty concluded the event sooner than expected and rushed back to safety.

A dispute over a seemingly trivial matter escalated into a chaotic clash between two groups of women in Uttar Pradesh’s Doghat on Thursday. 

As per reports, the altercation began over playing music but tensions in the area quickly intensified when two groups of women started thrashing each other with sticks and other objects. 

A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows around eight to ten women involved in a fierce brawl on a busy street. Bystanders can be seen watching in shock, with some attempting to intervene but retreating due to the intensity of the fight.

Several women were injured in the confrontation, and the footage has sparked outrage on social media. 

Reports suggest that local residents eventually managed to de-escalate the situation, but not before multiple women sustained injuries. 

Doghat police have initiated an investigation based on the video. As per reports, they are currently examining the video footage, and appropriate action will be taken following the investigation.

UP: Two burnt alive in truck collision in Fatehpur

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a truck driver and his helper were burnt alive when two trucks collided and caught fire in the Hussainganj area of Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district, police said on Thursday.

The incident occurred around midnight on Wednesday on the Fatehpur-Lucknow road, Additional SP Vijay Shankar Mishra said.

Vinay Shukla (35), the driver of one of the trucks, and his helper, Ramraj Yadav (23), were burnt alive in the blaze. The occupants of the other truck managed to jump out before the fire spread, Mishra added.

Both victims were residents of Kherwa village in the Shivratanganj police station area of Amethi district. Their bodies have been sent for postmortem, Mishra said.