59-year-old man found beheaded in Manipur, houses set on fire

Tension in Manipur's Jiribam as man found beheaded by unknown assailants. Identity and motive unknown. Ethnic clashes have plagued Manipur since last year.

Tension erupted in the border district of Jiribam in Manipur on Thursday after a man was found beheaded by unknown assailants.

An irate mob set fire to abandoned houses belonging to the Kuki community in the nearby area. (PTI)

The victim was identified as Soibam Saratkumar Singh, 59. The incident occurred around 5 pm when Saratkumar was returning from his son’s farm located at Leishabithol.

According to police, Saratkumar was allegedly detained by unknown miscreants near Khasia Punji on his way home. His family members immediately reported the incident to Jiribam district police, prompting a joint search operation in the area.

During the search, Saratkumar’s beheaded body was found near Mulargoan, about 12 kilometers north of Jiribam police station. The motive behind the killing and the identity of the assailants remain unknown. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

Soibam Romola, the deceased’s wife, said she and her son encountered suspicious unknown individuals, believed to be from the Kuki community, while returning from the farm ahead of her husband. Police did not confirm the identity or affiliation of the suspects.

When Saratkumar’s phone was found switched off, their son searched the area and discovered his father’s two-wheeler and sandals. “My son found the two-wheeler and the sandal of my husband. Immediately, I reported the incident to Jiribam police station, but my husband was found beheaded,” Romola lamented.

Later, around 9pm, an irate mob set fire to abandoned houses belonging to the Kuki community in the nearby area.

Since May 3 last year, Manipur has been split by ethnic clashes between the Meitei community, which is in majority in the Imphal Valley, and the tribal Kuki-Zo communities, who are dominant in few hill districts. The violence has claimed over 220 lives and uprooted over 50,000 people.

Divisions still exist on the ground and people from one community are not allowed to enter an area where those from the other community are in a majority. Despite heavy deployment of central security forces and the army, sporadic violence continues, thanks to nearly 4,000 arms looted from state armories which are still in the hands of civilians.