Kuki Inpi, KOHUR Condemns Killing of Two Kuki Civilians in Ukhrul, Seeks NIA Probe Within 48 Hours

The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribes, on Wednesday strongly condemned the brutal killing of two Kuki civilians in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, allegedly by cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak‑Muivah) (NSCN-IM), and demanded that the perpetrators be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) within 48 hours.

In a statement issued after an emergency cabinet meeting, KIM expressed “deepest anguish” over the gruesome murder of Thenkhogin Baite, 45, of Thawai Kuki village, and Thangboimang Lunkim, 35, an internally displaced person settled in the same village.

According to KIM, the two victims along with another villager, Letginthang Haokip, 29, were apprehended by suspected NSCN-IM cadres on the morning of March 11 in what it described as a “gross violation” of the non-aggression understanding between the Kuki and Tangkhul communities under the aegis of the Peace Working Committee and the Tangkhul Naga Long-Working Committee.

While Baite and Lunkim were allegedly murdered under “barbaric conditions”, Haokip was reportedly brutally assaulted and shot in the leg, the statement said.

KIM termed the killings a “cold-blooded betrayal of trust” shown by the Kuki community which, it said, has consistently called for peace and restraint despite rising tensions in the hill districts of the state.

Demanding accountability, the organisation urged the Tangkhul Naga Long-Working Committee and the Ministry of Home Affairs to produce the perpetrators before KIM and ensure that the accused are handed over to the NIA within 48 hours for a fair and impartial investigation.

Meanwhile, the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) also condemned the incident in the strongest terms, alleging that Tangkhul militants affiliated with the NSCN-IM had abducted and later killed the two unarmed civilians.

KOHUR said the victims were reportedly kidnapped while carrying out a routine community task of repairing the local water supply system serving their village.

According to the rights group, villagers had earlier released Tangkhul passengers travelling to and from Imphal on humanitarian grounds following appeals from the state government in the hope of securing the safe release of the abducted civilians.

“However, in a shocking betrayal of this humanitarian gesture, once the Tangkhul passengers were released, the two innocent Kuki men were reportedly killed mercilessly by the militants,” the organisation said.

KOHUR further alleged that the incident reflects the long-standing notoriety of the NSCN-IM for violence against civilians, particularly during the ethnic unrest that gripped Manipur in the 1990s.

The organisation demanded the immediate identification and arrest of all those involved in the killings, warning that failure to take swift and decisive action would compel it to pursue all democratic and legal avenues to ensure justice and accountability.

Both organisations asserted that the sanctity of civilian life must be protected at all costs and cautioned that any delay in delivering justice could further escalate tensions in the already volatile hill districts of Manipur.