Imphal, May 13 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two persons belonging to banned militant groups for their involvement in the brutal killing of a woman and burning and looting of houses by armed militants in Manipur’s Jiribam district in November last year, officials said on Tuesday.
NIA sources said that the accused Nongthombam Meiraba, hailing from Bishnupur district and belonging to the proscribed insurgent outfit - United National Liberation Front (UNLF), was involved in the actual shooting of the woman, identified as Zosangkim.
The other accused, identified as Sagolsem Sanatomba alias Surchandra Singh alias Piba of Thoubal district, was a member of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), another Manipur insurgent outfit and was part of the team involved in the carnage that occurred at Zairawn village.
The two accused are in NIA custody till May 17 in the case for which investigations are continuing.
In another incident, NIA has arrested a cadre of the militant outfit -- Kangleipak Communist Party-People’s War Group (KCP-PWG) -- faction in an abduction and murder case relating to the ethnic clashes that took place in Manipur in 2023.
According to the central probe agency source, the KCP-PWG militant identified as Waikhom Rohit Singh, a resident of Thoubal Pakhangkhong Leirak in Thoubal district, was picked up by an NIA team for his involvement in the conspiracy and execution of the crime.
He is currently in judicial custody after completing his remand with the NIA. In November 2023, a CRPF team deployed on ‘naka duty’ in Kangchup Chingkhong area of Imphal West district had detained a Bolero vehicle. The vehicle was found carrying five persons belonging to one of the two main communities involved in the ethnic clashes in the northeastern state.
A large mob of angry people belonging to the rival community had then gathered around and forcibly taken away four of the individuals, while one had managed to escape.
The bodies of three of the four victims were recovered later. NIA, which had taken over the case in February 2024 on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, is continuing with the investigation.
--IANS
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