Imphal/ Churachandpur: A man belonging to the Meitei community was shot dead after being abducted by suspected Kuki militants in Churachandpur district, in a fresh escalation of the tensions in restive Manipur, police said on Thursday.
Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh was abducted from his home in the Tuibong area on Wednesday and shot dead in the vicinity of Natjang village, a senior officer said.
The kidnappers are suspected to be members of the United Kuki National Army (UNKA), a non-signatory to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.
The SoO pact was signed between the Centre, the Manipur government and dozens of Kuki-Zo militant groups.
Singh, who hailed from Kakching Khunou in Kakching district, was married to Chingnu Haokip of Churachandpur and assumed a tribal name, Ginminthang. He returned to Churachandpur from Nepal on January 19, according to local sources.
He was allowed to stay with his wife, a Kuki, by some local groups, they said.
The deceased’s father Mayanglambam Tombi Singh told reporters, “After arriving from Nepal, he had been staying in Churachandpur for a few weeks at his wife’s place. He never informed of his whereabouts. We have been told that he was abducted by three armed men on Wednesday evening. His wife was also taken with him, but was
later pushed out from a moving vehicle.”
Protests erupted in Kakching district on Thursday as people in Kakching Khunou Lamkhai area burnt tyres on roads, stopped vehicles and staged a sit-in against the killing of the Meitei man.
Demonstrations were also held in parts of Wangkhei in Imphal East district, condemning the killing.
Kukis and Meiteis do not venture into each other’s areas after the violence broke out in May 2023, leaving the state deeply divided on ethnic lines. Over 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the hostilities.
The militants abducted both the man and his wife, and took them towards Natjang in the Henglep police station area, where he was suspected to be shot dead, the officer said