The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Manipur Police arrested a man and his wife in Kangpokpi district on Friday for their alleged role in the killing of six Naga civilians earlier this year. The suspects, identified as Pradip and Ayinghi, are residents of Leilon Vaiphei, a Kuki-dominated village.
A joint team of Manipur Police, NIA, and CRPF conducted the operation based on credible intelligence. Authorities confirmed the arrests in a post on X, stating that the six victims were killed in Leilon Vaiphei on May 13.
Background of the Naga Civilians' Killing
The case follows the kidnapping of 48 people from two ethnic communities and the subsequent killing of six Naga hostages. On May 13, 20 Naga individuals were abducted in Leilon Vaiphei after two separate ambushes in Kangpokpi and Noney districts that left four dead—three church leaders and one Naga man.
That same evening, 28 Kuki community members were kidnapped by Naga outfits. After appeals from civil groups and the state government, 14 hostages from each side were released on May 15. The remaining 14 Kuki hostages were freed unharmed on June 9. The bodies of the six Naga hostages were recovered near Leilon Vaiphei on June 10.
Reactions and Clarifications
Kuki Zo Council (KZC) chairman Henlienthang Thanglet initially apologized for the killings, calling them a "grave mistake" committed "out of emotion." He demanded an impartial probe into the violence tied to Manipur’s ethnic strife.
The KZC later clarified that Thanglet’s remarks were not an admission of collective guilt but an expression of sorrow in the spirit of humanity. The statement came after a Naga students' organization criticized the apology.
