A National Investigation Agency (NIA)-led joint team on Friday arrested two persons from Manipur's Kangpokpi district in connection with the killing of six Naga civilians, nearly two months after their bodies were recovered, police said.
The arrests were made during an early morning operation at Leilon Vaiphei village by a joint team of the NIA, Manipur Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), acting on specific intelligence inputs.
According to police, the two accused, identified as Ayingbi, a woman, and Pradip, were apprehended from the Kuki-Zo village of Leilon Vaiphei. They are alleged to have been involved in the killing of six Naga civilians on May 13.
The bodies of the six victims were recovered from the outskirts of Leilon Vaiphei on June 10, triggering widespread protests by Naga and Meitei groups, which demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.
The killings also led Naga organisations to blockade roads leading to Kangpokpi district, causing severe shortages of essential commodities and a sharp rise in prices in the Kuki-Zo-majority district.
Days after the bodies were recovered, Kuki Zo Council (KZC) chairman Henlienthang Thanglet apologised for the killings and called for an impartial investigation into all acts of violence linked to the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state.
"I admit the Kuki-Zo people made a grave mistake in killing the six Naga civilians. It was done out of emotion. I strongly condemn it. I am very sorry and apologise on behalf of my people," he had told a press conference.
A day later, however, the KZC issued a clarification, saying portions of Thanglet's remarks had been "misconstrued as an admission of responsibility by the Kuki-Zo community".
The council said the chairperson's expression of regret was made purely in the spirit of humanity, compassion and moral responsibility and "was not intended to assign collective guilt".
The clarification came after an influential Naga students' organisation expressed anger over the KZC chief's remarks on the killing of the six Naga hostages.
(With inputs from PTI)