IMPHAL: Advisor and former president of apex Zeliangrong Naga body, Zeliangrong Baudi (Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland), Athuan Abonmai, was gunned down in Tamenglong district on Wednesday evening after being abducted by unknown persons.
Abonmai, who spoke against the NSCN (IM) in local television social discussion programmes, left his Langol Tarung residence in Imphal West in the morning to attend a community outreach programme of the state government attended by chief minister N Biren Singh.
Sources said he was abducted by around 20 unknown persons around 11am from the gate of the ground where the programme was held.
Following the abduction of the Naga leader, who also spoke for ushering in peace and unity between the hill and valley in the state, police launched a massive search to rescue him but to no avail.
The people of Machenglu, the native village of Abonmai, also launched a search for him till his bullet-riddled body was found near a stone crusher site located between Pallong village and Sonparam, around 29km from Tamenglong district headquarters in the evening.
Before long, Tamenglong district police rushed to the spot, retrieved the body and registered an FIR to track down the perpetrators, the police sources said.
Abonmei had contested the state assembly elections twice from Tamei seat in Tamenglong district earlier.
No group has claimed responsibility for the murder till the time of filing this report even as hordes of civil bodies and well-wishers stongly condemned the brutal murder of Abonmai.
Attempts to contact senior police officials for comments drew a blank.
