Manipur: CBI Arrests Four In Meitei Students' Abduction And Killing Case While Kukis Claim They Are Innocent, Term Arrests Arbitrary

In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) apprehended four individuals, including two women, linked to the abduction and killing of two Meitei students in Manipur during July.

The arrests were executed in Churachandpur, a hill district in the region.

The suspects, identified as Paominlun Haokip, S Malsawm Haokip, Lhingneichong Baite and Tinneilhing Henthang, were transported from Imphal to Guwahati through a collaborative effort by CBI and Manipur Police.

During the operation, the children of Lhingneichong, aged nine and 11, were also taken into custody alongside their mother and subsequently flown to Guwahati.

The joint team later handed them over to the District Child Protection Officer of Assam’s Kamrup Metro district.

Expressing contentment over the arrests, Chief Minister N Biren Singh pledged to ensure the highest penalties for the accused, even advocating for capital punishment where warranted.

The suspects were conveyed "outside the State" via a specialised flight.

However, the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) contested the detentions, asserting that two of the suspects, Malsawm and Paominlun, were not involved in the murder case.

The KSO instead claimed that they are president and general secretary of KSO Leimata Block respectively.

It also expressed solidarity with an indefinite shutdown in Churachandpur from 2 October, initiated by other tribal bodies against what they deemed arbitrary arrests.

The abduction and tragic demise of the Meitei students had ignited widespread protests following the circulation of graphic images of their bodies on social media platforms. This incident was among 11 cases involving women and children that were transferred to the CBI back in July.

The ethnically charged conflict between the tribal Kuki-Zo and the Meitei community in Manipur has resulted in at least 175 fatalities since 3 May, exacerbating an already volatile situation in the region.

Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey visited the families of the deceased, and CBI officials commenced their investigative efforts into the killings on 27 September.