Imphal: In a fresh incident, a Meitei man was abducted from his home and later shot dead by suspected Kuki militants in Manipur‘s Churachandpur district, police said on Thursday.
The victim, identified as Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh, was taken from his residence in the Tuibong area on Wednesday and subsequently killed near Natjang village. The assailants are suspected to be cadres of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA), a militant group that is not a signatory to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.
Singh, a native of Kakching Khunou in Kakching district, was married to Chingnu Haokip of Churachandpur and had adopted a tribal name, Ginminthang. According to local sources, he had returned to Churachandpur from Nepal on January 19 and was allowed to stay with his wife by certain local groups.
Police said both Singh and his wife were abducted and taken towards Natjang in the Henglep police station area, where he was allegedly shot dead. His wife was later released.
A purported video of the incident circulated widely on social media, showing Singh pleading for his life with folded hands before being shot by armed men.
The body was recovered from Natjang village after police received information and was brought to the district hospital morgue around 1.30 am, officials said.
A suo motu case has been registered, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend those responsible, police added.
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Ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities erupted in Manipur in May 2023, leaving the state sharply divided along ethnic lines. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands displaced since the unrest began.
