The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: Two Meitei men from Manipur who were allegedly abducted by Kuki militants on September 27 were released on Thursday (October 3). Both the men were unharmed, reported The Hindu.
The release of the duo coincided with the release of 11 Kuki prisoners from the Sajiwa jail situated in the outskirts of Imphal.
While the release of the Kuki prisoners was a precondition set by the abductors, the police claimed that they were in prison despite getting bail because of the conflict situation.
“The two young men abducted in Kangpokpi on 27th September, 2024 have been safely brought back to the custody of @manipur_police. I sincerely appreciate everyone from both the state and central government who worked tirelessly to ensure their safe return. Your efforts are deeply valued,” Chief Minister N. Biren Singh posted on X.
Audio tapes put out in the public domain by The Wire after they were submitted to the Commission of Inquiry for Manipur Violence set up by the Union home ministry appear to implicate Chief Minister Singh and his administration directly in the year-and-half-long ethnic conflict in the border state. The violence has led to the loss of hundreds of lives and thousands of people are still displaced.