Kuki woman killed in Manipur gunfight; 48-hour shutdown called in Kangpokpi

Imphal: A Kuki woman was shot dead while two men sustained injuries when suspected militants engaged in a gunfight in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Thursday, officials said.

A Kuki organisation has called a 48-hour total shutdown in Kangpokpi district following the incident. It demanded that the government withdraw all security forces from Kangpokpi district, alleging that they have failed to ensure civilian safety.

The gunfight broke out between rival rebel groups in an area near Taphou Kuki village in Kangpokpi district and Kailengjang in neighbouring Senapati district around 11 am.

Following the exchange of fire, a woman from Taphou Kuki village, who was working in a nearby field, was found shot dead.

The deceased has been identified as K Chongloi (42).

She was found holding a sickle in her hand as she lay dead.

Her body has been recovered by locals and security forces.

Two men, identified as S David Chongloi (34) and Lamkhochon Chongloi (46), sustained injuries during the firing. They were both taken to hospitals in Kangpokpi district.

Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen has called for "a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation" into the incident. He strongly condemned the killing of the woman and termed it a "heinous act of violence" which is "an affront to human dignity."

In a statement, police said additional security forces, including CRPF, BSF and Assam Rifles personnel, have been deployed in the area. It said security forces have cordoned off the nearby villages and are conducting search operations to prevent further escalation of violence.

"Investigation has been initiated, and suspects are being questioned in connection with the incident," it said.

Following the incident, security personnel also conducted search operations at nearby Oname Taphou village in Senapati district. Locals, mostly women, tried to prevent the security forces from approaching the village.

The incident took place amid protests by the Kangpokpi-based Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), which organised a sit-in demonstration at the district headquarters over what it described as an "unsatisfactory response to the organisation's charter of demands" following the recent abduction and killing of two Kuki-Zo civilians from Taphou Kuki village.

COTU has demanded that Taphou Kuki village be brought under the jurisdiction of Kangpokpi district police instead of the present Senapati district police station.

Two Kuki youths who went missing from the vicinity of Taphou Kuki village on October 28 were found dead in neighbouring Senapati district on November 1.

Their killing had prompted COTU to call a "total shutdown" in Kangpokpi district.

Manipur Police ADGP (Law and Order) Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo said on Tuesday that the state government was considering transferring the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

"A proposal to transfer the case to the NIA by the government of Manipur is at an advanced stage, and necessary orders are awaited," he had said.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh had visited Taphou Kuki village and met the family members of the two deceased youths.

He assured them of the government's full support during the difficult time.

In another firing incident near Sinakeithei in Ukhrul district, a man was injured on his right shoulder when suspected militants fired at a group of farmers while they were harvesting their paddy fields.

The injured person was evacuated by security forces and taken to the district hospital for medical treatment. Farmers present in the area were also safely evacuated.

A COTU functionary said, "The government must withdraw all central and state security forces, particularly those operating under the command of the Senapati district superintendent of police from Kangpokpi district. Security arrangements under the SP of Senapati have failed to ensure civilian safety, leaving them vulnerable."

Educational, medical and emergency services will be exempted from the purview of the shutdown, he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)