Kuki CSOs Ukhrul Offer Deep Condolence to Martyred BSF Jawan, Seek NIA Probe

he Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, has offered heartfelt condolences on the martyrdom of a BSF jawan in Ukhrul district, a loss that has cast a pall of grief over Manipur’s conflict-hit hill regions.

The committee expressed deep anguish over the death of Constable Mithun Mandal of the 170 Battalion, A Company, who was critically injured during the Mongkot Chepu firing incident around 4:50 pm on Friday and later succumbed to his injuries at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal.

Describing him as a brave personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, the organisation extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved family, stating that his service and sacrifice would never be forgotten.

Following the condolence, the committee raised serious allegations regarding the circumstances surrounding the firing, citing initial accounts from security personnel and local villagers. It claimed that the shot was fired from “elevated Tangkhul militant bunkers” near Kholkai waterfall, most likely from the direction of Lilen Hill.

According to the statement, the jawan was seated on a verandah near a waiting shed in Ward No. 1 of Mongkot Chepu, facing Highway-202, when a bullet pierced through a GI sheet wall and struck him on the left side of his chest at a downward angle, resulting in severe internal injuries.

Despite being rushed to RIMS with the assistance of local villagers, he could not be saved.

The committee stated that the incident has deepened fear and insecurity among residents, particularly in Mongkot Chepu, and questioned what it termed as continued inaction against alleged militant fortifications in the area.

Demanding accountability, the organisation called for an immediate probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and urged authorities to take swift and decisive action against those responsible.

It also appealed to media houses to uphold journalistic integrity by refraining from disseminating unverified information, while urging Tangkhul civil society organisations to rise above blame narratives and engage constructively in the pursuit of truth and justice.

The incident has once again brought into sharp focus the fragile security situation in Manipur’s hill districts, where sporadic violence continues to claim lives despite ongoing efforts to restore normalcy.