A Meitei man was shot dead after being abducted by suspected Kuki militants in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, marking a fresh escalation in the ongoing ethnic tensions in the State, reported PTI.
A disturbing video has gone viral, allegedly showing a man pleading for his life before being shot dead.
The victim, identified as Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh, was taken from his residence in the Tuibong area on Wednesday. His body was later recovered near Natjang village.
Police suspect the involvement of members of the United Kuki National Army (UNKA), a Kuki militant group that is not a signatory to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement. The SoO pact was signed between the Centre, the Manipur government and several Kuki-Zo armed groups.
Singh, a resident of Kakching Khunou in Kakching district, was married to a Kuki woman from Churachandpur, Chingnu Haokip, and had adopted the tribal name Ginminthang. According to local sources, he had returned to Churachandpur from Nepal on January 19 and was staying with his wife with the consent of some local groups.
The couple was abducted together and taken towards Natjang village, where Singh was shot dead, police said. His wife was later released.
Police have registered and launched a search operation to identify and apprehend those responsible.
Ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which began in May 2023, has left more than 260 people dead and displaced thousands. Movement between areas dominated by the two communities remains severely restricted.
(With inputs from PTI)