Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) is demanding the immediate release of 71-year-old Hemjang Haokip. Armed men allegedly snatched Haokip from his home in Khunkho Kuki Village on Friday at 3 pm. He is now missing.
CoTU suspects the culprits belong to the NSCN-IM and the ZUF-Kamson faction. The group says these armed cadres roam freely with weapons during daylight hours. This brazen behavior defies ceasefire ground rules in the Kangpokpi district. The committee warns the incident is a deliberate push to ignite communal violence.
"The committee described the incident as a serious provocation that could heighten communal tensions and undermine the fragile peace in the region."
Officials linked the kidnapping to recent political shifts, specifically the United Naga Council ending an economic blockade. CoTU is now pushing the Governor of Manipur, the Security Advisor, and local police to open a formal investigation. They want an urgent search and swift legal action. Church leaders and community elders are also being asked to step in for humanitarian reasons. The current identity of the abductors remains unverified.
Updated at 4th October 2026 at 6:00pm
New details show Haokip was taken from a farm hut on October 3. Villagers discovered his shelter had been razed by fire the following day. Heavy rains initially hindered the search, and community efforts were called off after dark due to security threats in the area.
Search parties working with security forces recovered Haokip's trousers, shirt, and sweater on Sunday. Authorities have since deployed sniffer dogs to pick up a trail. The Kuki Youth Organisation, Leimakhong Block, specifically blamed NSCN-IM cadres for both the kidnapping and the arson.
The Khunkho Kuki Village Authority has set a 24-hour deadline for his release, which expired on October 4. The group warned of widespread protests if the elderly man is not returned safely, as the discovery of his discarded clothes has fueled fears for his life.
Updated at 4th October 2026 at 9:50pm
A joint search team of police, central forces, and villagers pulled Haokip’s body from the S. Golai area around 2:30 pm on Sunday. He was found with his limbs tied, though there were no visible bullet wounds. Investigators suspect he was beaten to death, but official autopsy results are still pending.
His wife told authorities she last saw him Saturday when he headed to the farm to tend to cattle. The Kuki-Zo Council has declared that the community will not claim the body, adding it to a growing list of nine unclaimed victims held at the Churachandpur District Hospital morgue as part of an ongoing protest against state security failures.
Updated at 5th October 2026 at 1:47am
Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen condemned the killing, labeling it a brutal act of violence and urging authorities to track down the perpetrators. The Kuki Inpi South West Sadar Hills also denounced the act as inhumane, demanding the arrest of those responsible within four days.
In response to the discovery of the body, the Committee on Tribal Unity has declared a 24-hour total shutdown across Kangpokpi district from midnight on October 5 to midnight on October 6. The order shutters government offices, schools, and businesses, though medical emergencies and media outlets remain exempt.
Haokip's wife clarified that the couple returned to their village on Thursday for a church service, and he had only gone back to the farm on Saturday to tend to their cattle when he was snatched. The Kuki-Zo Council has set an October 10 deadline for the government to address the broader issue of unclaimed bodies held in morgues, linking this latest case to a pattern of state security failures.
Updated at 5th October 2026 at 9:46am
Volunteers and local women enforced the shutdown on Monday, placing benches across National Highway-2 at Bongmol village to halt traffic. Protesters stopped vehicles to verify documents, restricting movement to medical and media services only while central forces monitored the standoff.
The Kuki-Zo Council confirmed that Haokip’s death brings the number of unclaimed victims at the Churachandpur morgue to nine. The group has set an October 10 deadline for the government to resolve the issue of these pending bodies or face further agitation.
Updated at 5th October 2026 at 10:01am
The search ended in tragedy Sunday when a joint team of police, central forces, and locals found Haokip's body in the S. Golai forest area around 2:30 pm. His limbs were bound with rope, and while there were no bullet wounds, investigators suspect he was beaten to death. The body has been moved to the Churachandpur District Hospital morgue.
Haokip's family says the couple returned to their village Thursday for a church service. He went back to the farm Saturday to tend cattle and never returned. His wife has joined local women in sit-in protests at Leimakhong bazar.
The Kuki-Zo Council is refusing to claim the remains, adding them to eight other unclaimed victims at the morgue. They have issued an October 10 ultimatum to the government to resolve the backlog of unclaimed bodies or face escalating protests.
Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen labeled the killing a brutal act of violence and demanded a swift investigation. The Kuki Inpi South West Sadar Hills also denounced the murder, setting a four-day deadline for the arrest of those responsible.
In response to the killing, CoTU launched a total shutdown of Kangpokpi district from midnight October 5 through midnight October 6. Volunteers and local women enforced the order by blocking National Highway-2 at Bongmol village, halting all traffic except for essential medical and media services.
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