Imphal, May 21: A Nepali-origin man who legally adopted a Kuki identity after marrying a Kuki woman has alleged that he was abducted and assaulted by a group of Liangmei Naga volunteers along with suspected members of Arambai Tenggol in Kanglatongbi in Manipur’s Imphal West district on May 19.
The individual, identified as Ramesh Bhandari, also known as Thangtinlen Doungel, is a registered internally displaced person (IDP) under Saitu Sub-Division. According to family members, he had travelled to Kanglatongbi Bazar Board to purchase rice when the incident allegedly occurred.
His family claimed that he was blindfolded, tied up and subjected to physical assault for several hours before being released after intervention by leaders from the Gorkha community. Following his release, he was reunited with his wife and reportedly underwent treatment at a local hospital for multiple injuries.
Speaking about the incident, his wife Nemlam Doungel said her husband had left home to buy essential household supplies but later returned with injuries on different parts of his body. She said the family had been displaced by the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur and is currently residing in the Saparmeina area.
She stated that the couple married in 2012 and settled in her native village in Kangpokpi district after marriage. According to her, her husband later voluntarily adopted Christianity and legally changed his name from Ramesh Bhandari to Thangtinlen Doungel in 2016, with the change reflected in official records, including his Aadhaar card.
She added that the family presently supports itself through work at a water bottling business supplying water to Saparmeina and surrounding areas.
Describing the alleged incident, the victim claimed he was intercepted while trying to buy rice and was asked to show identification documents by volunteers reportedly monitoring the movement of essential commodities towards the Kangpokpi side.
He alleged that after he was unable to produce his Aadhaar card, those present searched his belongings and discovered documents bearing his Kuki name. He further claimed he was then blindfolded, moved to different locations and assaulted during questioning despite explaining his Nepali background and the legal change of his name.
According to the victim, he remained blindfolded throughout the incident and was freed only after community leaders intervened later in the day.
The incident has triggered reactions from members of the displaced Kuki-Zo community, who alleged that the episode reflected wider concerns over civilians being targeted on the basis of identity amid the continuing ethnic tensions in Manipur.
