Headless body, restless state: Frantic 48-hour hunt in Manipur

Amid the ongoing Kuki-Naga clashes, Ajinpou Ringkangmai, 52, was shot dead in Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district allegedly by Kuki militants.

The body was in a mortuary in Imphal. The severed head was somewhere in the jungles of Kangpokpi, 85 kilometres away. And a 48-hour ultimatum had put an already bruised state on the edge.

The killing has triggered outrage among Naga groups, for whom the removal of the victim’s head is not only a brutal act but also a humiliation to his community. (Sourced)

Authorities in Manipur heaved a sigh of relief on Wednesday after finding the head of a Naga man allegedly killed by Kuki militants, three hours before the 7pm deadline. Naga groups had warned of serious consequences if the remains were not returned.

“Security forces found the head in the jungle this afternoon. They informed the family in the evening and are bringing it to Imphal,” said deputy chief minister Losii Dikho.

The family of the victim – 52-year-old Ajinpou Ringkangmai – confirmed the development. “Police have informed us about the development. They said it will take some time to bring it to Imphal. We received information about this around 5-6pm,” said the victim’s cousin, Disubou Wijunamai.

On October 10, Ajinpou Ringkangmai was allegedly shot dead in Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district by militants, who later severed his head and took it away. The killing triggered outrage among Naga groups, for whom the removal of the victim’s head was a mark not only of brutality but also community humiliation.

Naga groups demand head be returned for dignified burial

Naga groups refused to allow authorities to conduct a post-mortem examination until the severed head was found, and issued an ultimatum on Monday evening.

“We have declared that the post-mortem examination for Ajinbou shall not be conducted until the missing head is recovered and returned to the family for a dignified burial. Heed this ultimatum. The unwanted consequences that follow thereafter will rest solely in your hands,” said a letter to the chief minister signed by four senior members of the Joint Tribes Council Manipur.

Through Tuesday and Wednesday, security forces and police combed the jungles of Kangpokpi. Meanwhile, another Naga group — Chandel Naga People’s Organisation — demanded the government find the head. “Our teams searched the forest using drones and other equipment. This is being monitored at the highest level. In the past, during Meitei-Kuki clashes, there were some cases of people being beheaded, but taking the head as a trophy was uncalled for. These things happened 100 years ago,” said a senior government officer, who asked not to be named.

Four Naga men killed in attack on village

Ajinpou, a father of four, lived with his wife in Makui 1 village. His children study in Pune.

The four Makui villages—numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4, in Kangpokpi -- house at least 234 Naga families. Last month, amid the Kuki-Naga clashes, militants burned houses in Makai 2, 3, and 4. Nagas fled the district and shifted to Senapati, where they form the majority. Kukis also fled to Kangpokpi after their houses were burnt in the villages of Naga-dominated Ukhrul.

Burning homes and forcing people to flee are recurring features of Manipur’s ethnic violence since May 2023—first in clashes between the Meiteis and Kukis, and now between the Nagas and Kukis. The violence has displaced more than 60,000 people and killed at least 320 residents.

“All villagers from the 2,3 and 4 Makui villages are now settled in relief camps as internally displaced people because their houses were burnt by Kuki militants last month. On October 9, Ajinpou along with 12-15 other villagers went to Makui 2 village to check and guard it from locals who could ransack what was left or burn in further the houses,” Disubou Wijunamai said.

At around 7 am on October 10, while villagers were guarding the village, eyewitnesses reported drones above the village, according to Naga leaders.

“Within minutes, they came under fire. They also fired back to defend the village. The survivors told us that there were around 50-60 armed militants who rained fire that ultimately led to the death of our 4 Naga brothers. The militants fled after seeing that other Naga volunteers were also rushing to Makui 2 with reinforcements,” Wijunamai said, adding that they later found the bodies of four men on the village ground.

While the head of one man, Dibambou, was smashed, Ajinpou was lying on the ground with his head severed. That afternoon, around 3 pm, an 11-second video showing Ajinpou’s severed head, lying on what appeared to be a battery looted from church, a jungle went viral on WhatsApp.

Three other Naga people were killed in the same village on the day. Over the last five days, at least nine people have been killed in the Naga-Kuki clashes. The fresh spurt of violence threatened not only peace on the ground but also the carefully balanced political arrangement involving Manipur’s three main communities.

At Kartavya Bhawan 3 in New Delhi – the home ministry headquarters, over 2,000km from Manipur—top officials have approved deploying at least 30 additional CAPF companies to Manipur. They are also likely to send another batch of COBRA Commandos, a force trained in guerrilla warfare that has achieved success against Maoists. This is in addition to around 270 companies already posted in the state. Each company has a sanctioned strength of 120-130 personnel, of whom around 75-80 are generally deployed. Altogether, Manipur will soon have over 35,000 personnel from central forces alone. With the recovery of the head, for now, an escalation has been averted. But tensions are still simmering -- three years after the first embers of violence.