6 Naga Hostages Found Dismembered And Mutilated By Kuki Groups in Manipur, Sparking Widespread Outrage

Imphal: The mortal remains of six Naga hostages, who were abducted nearly a month ago, were recovered in a heavily mutilated and dismembered condition from Kangpokpi district. 

The discovery has triggered widespread outrage, prompting the United Naga Council (UNC) to call a total shutdown across Naga-dominated areas and forcing authorities to hand the case over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).  

The breakthrough came following a gruelling 24-hour search operation involving nearly 450 personnel from the Manipur Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Assam Rifles. Aided by sniffer dogs and forensic experts, teams located the bodies in difficult terrain. 

According to police, the deceased are believed to be part of a group of Naga civilians, including two pastors, who were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13 following an ambush that killed three church leaders from the Thadou tribe earlier that day. 

The recovery has shattered temporary hopes of de-escalation in the region, coming less than 24 hours after 14 Kuki hostages were safely released through peace negotiations mediated by civic and church bodies. 

Instead, the brutal nature of the killings has plunged the state into renewed ethnic turmoil. 

The UNC strongly condemned the act, labelling it a "sacrilegious and satanic act" and a gross violation of human rights that directly challenges the collective identity and security of the Naga people. 

The apex Naga body has put forth an uncompromising four-point charter of demands to both the state and central governments, refusing to claim the bodies from the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) mortuary until they are met. 

Their demands include the immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups, the designation of the Kuki National Front-President (KNF-P) group as a terrorist organisation, and the arrest of the village chief involved in the initial abduction.

Meanwhile, tensions spiked in Imphal as large crowds gathered outside the JNIMS hospital, resulting in violent clashes with security forces who deployed tear gas to disperse the agitators. 

Neighbouring leaders, including Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, expressed profound heartbreak over the "senseless act of violence," while Manipur Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh firmly asserted that the state government would "not remain a mute spectator to these atrocities," promising stringent legal punishment for the perpetrators.