Imphal, Jan 22 (PTI) Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Thursday said that the case of the murder of a Meitei man by suspected Kuki militants in Churachandpur has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a thorough probe, a Lok Bhavan statement said.
The governor expressed deep sorrow over the demise of Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.
He said that the case has been handed over to the NIA.
The governor further said that an intensive combing operation has been launched since Wednesday night to apprehend those responsible, with coordinated efforts involving both state and central forces and operations are being undertaken on a war footing.
He also reiterated that all necessary measures are being taken in accordance with law and expressed profound regret over the tragic loss of life.
A man belonging to the Meitei community was shot dead after being abducted by suspected Kuki militants in Churachandpur district, in a fresh escalation of the tensions in restive Manipur, police said.
Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh was abducted from his home in the Tuibong area on Wednesday and shot dead in the vicinity of Natjang village, a senior officer said.
The kidnappers are suspected to be members of the United Kuki National Army (UNKA), a non-signatory to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.
The SoO pact was signed between the Centre, the Manipur government and dozens of Kuki-Zo militant groups.
Singh, who hailed from Kakching Khunou in Kakching district, was married to Chingnu Haokip of Churachandpur and assumed a tribal name, Ginminthang. He returned to Churachandpur from Nepal on January 19, according to local sources.
He was allowed to stay with his wife, a Kuki, by some local groups, they said.
The deceased’s father Mayanglambam Tombi Singh told reporters, “After arriving from Nepal, he had been staying in Churachandpur for a few weeks at his wife’s place. He never informed of his whereabouts. We have been told that he was abducted by three armed men on Wednesday evening. His wife was also taken with him, but was later pushed out from a moving vehicle.” Protests erupted in Kakching district on Thursday as people in Kakching Khunou Lamkhai area burnt tyres on roads, stopped vehicles and staged a sit-in against the killing of the Meitei man.
Demonstrations were also held in parts of Wangkhei in Imphal East district, condemning the killing.
Kukis and Meiteis do not venture into each other’s areas after the violence broke out in May 2023, leaving the state deeply divided on ethnic lines. Over 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the hostilities.
The militants abducted both the man and his wife, and took them towards Natjang in the Henglep police station area, where he was suspected to be shot dead, the officer said.
The wife was later set free, he said.
A purported video clip of the chilling incident went viral on social media, showing Singh begging for his life with folded hands before he was shot by the armed men.
The body recovered from the Natjang village was brought to the morgue of the district hospital around 1.30 am, the police said.
A suo motu case was registered, and efforts are underway to nab those involved, the officer said. PTI COR ACD
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