Imphal, March 12 The bodies of two men from the Kuki community, who had gone missing in Manipur’s Kamjong district on Wednesday, were found on Thursday, officials said.
The deceased were identified as Thangboimang Khongsai, 35, a resident of Shangkai village in Ukhrul district, and Thengin Baite, 40, a resident of nearby Thawai Kuki village in Kamjong district.
Officials said the Manipur government has handed over the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a thorough probe.
A police official, quoting villagers, said that the two men had gone to repair water supply pipelines in the hill areas on Wednesday but did not return home.
Police said the bodies were recovered a short distance from each other by villagers and security personnel, hours after 21 Naga civilians who had been detained by villagers and armed men from Shangkai in Ukhrul district on Wednesday were released on Thursday.
Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh announced in the Assembly that the case would be handed over to the NIA and that compensation would be provided to the families of the deceased.
In a post on X, Singh said: "In the Manipur Legislative Assembly today, informed the House that the Government will hand over the case related to the death of two individuals at Thawai Kuki village to the NIA for a thorough and impartial investigation".
"Ex gratia will also be provided to the bereaved families as per government norms. The government remains committed to ensuring justice, maintaining law and order, and upholding the rule of law in the state", he added.
Soon after the recovery of the bodies, police vehicles were targeted by a mob at Mongkot Chepu in Ukhrul district. One vehicle was damaged in the attack, the official said.
Angry villagers in Shangkai also blocked the Ukhrul–Imphal highway with stones and boulders to protest the killings.
Meanwhile, all 21 Naga civilians who had been detained by villagers and armed men from the Kuki community in Manipur’s Ukhrul were released on Thursday after hectic negotiations.
A police official in Imphal said the civilians, belonging to the Tangkhul Naga community, were detained by Kuki villagers and armed men at Shangkai on Wednesday afternoon while travelling in three vehicles along the Ukhrul-Imphal route.
The official said that after intense talks and negotiations between state government officials and leaders of civil society organisations (CSOs) of both the Naga and Kuki-Zo communities, the hostages were released in the early hours of Thursday.
After their release, the civilians were taken to Litan police station and later reunited with their respective families.
Tension remained high in the Tangkhul Naga-majority Ukhrul district, particularly in areas bordering the Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district, with security forces conducting search and area domination operations to prevent any untoward incident.
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