CRPF Convoy Carrying Mortal Remains Was Never Blocked, T. Waichong Chief Slams ‘Fabricated’ Reports

The Chief of T. Waichong village in Kangpokpi district has categorically rejected as “entirely false, fabricated and devoid of ground reality” reports alleging that a CRPF convoy carrying the mortal remains of four Liangmei youths was obstructed or stopped at the village on August 27.

In a press clarification, T. Waichong village chief L. Kipgen said neither villagers nor the village authority blocked, hindered or interfered with the convoy at any point, directly challenging reports published by certain media houses.

Kipgen said the allegations were not merely inaccurate but had the potential to fuel unnecessary friction and deepen communal mistrust between neighbouring communities that had coexisted for generations.

“At no point was the convoy blocked, hindered, or interfered with by the residents or authority of T. Waichong village,” the village chief asserted.

Seeking to place the matter beyond competing narratives, Kipgen pointed to the presence of senior security officials during the convoy’s movement, saying the Commanding Officer of the 112 Battalion CRPF and the Superintendent of Police, Kangpokpi, were physically present on the ground and accompanied the convoy throughout its movement.

Their firsthand presence, coupled with operational records, could directly corroborate the village’s version of events, he said.

The village chief also hit out at what he termed the amplification of “unverified and sensational claims” at an already sensitive juncture, urging civil society organisations, particularly those functioning under the aegis of the United Naga Council (UNC), to exercise restraint and verify facts through authentic ground-level channels before issuing statements.

“Circulating fabricated claims only serves to create unnecessary friction and deepens communal mistrust between neighbouring communities who have coexisted for generations,” the clarification said.

Kipgen also called upon media organisations to uphold basic journalistic standards, verify allegations with on-ground officials and immediately retract uncorroborated reports to prevent the escalation of tensions.

The clarification comes amid heightened sensitivity in the Kangpokpi-Senapati region, where competing narratives surrounding incidents involving different communities have repeatedly threatened to aggravate already fragile inter-community relations.