Meitei Man Killed in Manipur After Marrying Kuki Woman; Militants Abduct Couple, Shoot Husband

Imphal: A 38-year-old Meitei man was abducted and shot dead in Manipur’s Churachandpur district late Wednesday night, allegedly by members of a banned Kuki militant group. The killing has once again disrupted the fragile calm in the state, which has witnessed prolonged ethnic violence since May 2023.

The victim has been identified as Meiyanglambam Rishi Kanta, a resident of Kakching district. He was living in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur with his wife Chingnu Haokip, who belongs to the Kuki community. Officials said armed cadres of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA) kidnapped the couple from Tuibuong area and took them to Natzang.

According to the wife’s statement, she was forcibly pushed out of a vehicle before her husband was shot dead, despite his repeated pleas for mercy. Police later recovered Rishi Kanta’s body and registered a case for further investigation.

Sources said the couple had sought permission from the Kuki National Organisation (KNO)—a militant umbrella group currently under a ceasefire agreement with the government—to live together in Churachandpur. However, the KNO has denied receiving any such request. It was also revealed that Rishi Kanta had been residing in Nepal and returned to Manipur on December 19, after which he was living discreetly in the district.

The killing comes just weeks before the end of President’s Rule on February 12. Manipur has been under central rule since February 2023 following the dismissal of the N. Biren Singh government amid ongoing ethnic violence. Since May 2023, more than 260 people have been killed and over 60,000 displaced.

Security officials noted that just last week, Assam Rifles and Manipur commandos dismantled UKNA camps in the forests of Churachandpur as part of an anti-insurgency operation. The UKNA is not part of the ceasefire agreement and operates across the India–Myanmar border.

The incident has raised serious concerns over the safety of inter-community couples and the fragile law-and-order situation, especially as the government has begun the phased rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Armed attacks have been reported near several resettlement sites in recent weeks.

Authorities said heightened security measures have been put in place, and investigations are ongoing.