NIA takes over probe into killing of Meitei man in Manipur as tensions rise

The investigation into the killing of a Meitei man in Manipur’s Churachandpur district has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla said on Thursday, amid renewed tensions in the violence-hit state.

In a statement issued by Raj Bhavan, the governor expressed deep sorrow over the death of Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh and conveyed condolences to his family. He said the case had been transferred to the NIA to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation.

Bhalla added that an intensive combing operation has been under way since Wednesday night to apprehend those responsible, with state and central security forces conducting coordinated operations “on a war footing”. He said all necessary steps were being taken in accordance with the law.

The killing has triggered fresh unrest in Manipur, which has remained deeply divided along ethnic lines since large-scale violence erupted in May 2023.

Police said Singh was abducted from his residence in the Tuibong area of Churachandpur on Wednesday evening and later shot dead near Natjang village in the Henglep police station area. The attackers are suspected to be members of the United Kuki National Army (UNKA), a Kuki militant group that is not a signatory to the Suspension of Operations agreement with the Centre and the state government.

Singh, a resident of Kakching Khunou in Kakching district, was married to a Kuki woman from Churachandpur and had adopted a tribal name, Ginminthang. According to local sources, he had returned from Nepal on 19 January and was staying at his wife’s home with the consent of some local groups.

His father, Mayanglambam Tombi Singh, said his son had not informed the family about his movements. “We were told that three armed men abducted him on Wednesday evening. His wife was also taken along but was later pushed out of a moving vehicle,” he told reporters.

Police said the couple were taken towards Natjang, where Singh was believed to have been killed. His wife was later released.

A video clip purportedly showing the incident circulated widely on social media, depicting Singh pleading for his life before he was shot. Authorities have not commented on the authenticity of the footage.

Singh’s body was recovered from Natjang village and brought to the district hospital mortuary in the early hours of Thursday. Police said a suo motu case has been registered and efforts are ongoing to track down the perpetrators.

The killing sparked protests in Kakching district, where demonstrators blocked roads, burnt tyres and staged sit-ins in Kakching Khunou Lamkhai. Protests were also reported in parts of Wangkhei in Imphal East district.

Since ethnic clashes broke out between Meiteis and Kukis in May 2023, the two communities have largely avoided entering each other’s areas. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands displaced in the prolonged violence, which continues to cast a shadow over the state’s security situation.

With PTI inputs