A man belonging to the Meitei community was abducted and later shot dead by suspected Kuki militants in Churachandpur district on Wednesday, in a fresh escalation of ethnic tensions in Manipur, police and local sources said. The victim has been identified as Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh, a resident of Kakching Khunou in Kakching district. He was abducted from the Tuibong area of Churachandpur at around 6.30 pm and later killed near Natjang village under Henglep police station, sources said.
Police suspect the involvement of militants belonging to the United Kuki National Army (UKNA), a 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 militant groups. According to local sources, Singh was married to Chingnu Haokip, a resident of Churachandpur, and had adopted the tribal name Ginminthang. He had recently returned from Nepal, where he was working, and arrived in Churachandpur on January 19 while on leave.
Sources said his wife had reportedly taken prior permission from local Kuki authorities and representatives of Kuki armed groups to allow her husband to stay with her for a few days, following which he visited Tuibong. However, Singh was allegedly abducted by armed men suspected to be militants and taken towards the Natjang area, where he was later killed. His body was recovered later in the evening.
Security officials said investigations are underway and additional forces have been deployed in the area to prevent further escalation. Since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023, Meitei and Kuki communities have largely avoided entering each other’s areas. The prolonged conflict has so far claimed over 260 lives and displaced thousands of people, leaving the state deeply divided along ethnic lines.
