IMPHAL, April 17: Three minor boys from Sairem village under Lamshang police station are believed to have been recruited by a particular valley based militant group and a large sit-in protest was staged at the village demanding safe release of the trio on Tuesday.
The three boys are Ch Ajoynao alias Shantikumar, 15, son of Manglemjao; Soraisam Naothoibi, 14, son of Shamungou, both from Sairem village Polangsoi Maning Leikai; and Sanasam Suran alias Suranboy, 15, son of Naoba of Sairem village, Kangdabi.
It is said the trio belongs to BPL families and that the families live on daily wages, sources said. One of the boys, namely Suran is the only son of his parents among four siblings besides he is the eldest of all.
“All the boys are now helping their families after leaving schools due to poverty,” the families said.
The mothers of the trio told journalists that the boys had left home on April 7 around 11 am to watch a football tournament at Atong Khuman and their whereabouts are unknown since then.
They said elders of the three families have been searching for them, but they are still untraceable. A missing report was also filed at the Lamshang police station on April 10, they added.
Meanwhile, locals of Sairem village staged a sit-in protest under the aegis of Sairem village Polangsoi Women Welfare Association at Sairem Khul Primary School to demand the safe release of the three young boys who have been reportedly recruited by an unidentified militant group.
In an unrelated incident, two boys, who left home in search of work on April 11 around 11 am, are now untraceable, a police source informed.
The two boys are L Panganba, 16, son of Sushilkumar of Haorang Keirel in Imphal West and Y Ningthem, 18, son of Megha from Sairem village Mamang Leikai under Imphal East.
Whereabouts of the duo are still unknown to their families since Ningthem came to the house of Panganba on April 11 and both went out to become handymen.
Ningthem was working as a handyman for some time before and he married less than a month ago, family sources said.