A joint team of state police, the National Investigation Agency, and the Central Reserve Police Force on Friday arrested a couple for their alleged involvement in the killing of six Nagas in ethnic violence-hit Manipur.
In a post on X, Manipur Police said they launched a “precise operation” to apprehend Pradip and Ayingbi, allegedly involved in killings on May 13 in Kuki-dominated Leilon Vaiphei village, based on “credible inputs”. They added that further necessary search and seizure procedures were carried out, along with necessary legal formalities.
The six were among 20 Nagas abducted in Leilon Vaiphei village in the aftermath of a twin ambush in Kangpokpi and Noney districts that left four people, including three church leaders, dead. On the same evening, Nagas abducted 28 Kukis. Fourteen Nagas and Kukis each were released on May 15. Fourteen Kuki were freed on June 9, unharmed. Mutilated bodies of six Nagas were found the next day.
Naga-Kuki tensions have escalated since the May 13 twin ambush. Nagas have blocked national highways, demanding justice.
The ethnic clashes in Manipur first began between the Meitei and Kuki communities before involving almost every community. The state’s Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities have shut each other out of the areas they dominate since ethnic clashes began in May 2023, leaving at least 260 people dead and displacing 60,000.
{{/usCountry}}The ethnic clashes in Manipur first began between the Meitei and Kuki communities before involving almost every community. The state’s Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities have shut each other out of the areas they dominate since ethnic clashes began in May 2023, leaving at least 260 people dead and displacing 60,000.
{{/usCountry}}The Meiteis, mostly Hindu, live largely in the Imphal valley. The Kukis, predominantly Christian, reside in the hills. The state government has maintained that there are no buffer zones dividing communities in the state, but it has identified certain sensitive areas.
A new government was formed in February, nearly a year after the imposition of President’s Rule. It includes representatives from all three major communities as part of an attempt to maintain ethnic balance.