Guwahati: A 28-year-old Meitei man was abducted and brutally killed by armed miscreants in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on the evening of January 21, triggering widespread outrage and fresh concerns over civilian safety amid the ongoing ethnic tensions in the state.
The victim, Rishikanta Mayanglambam, also known as Ginminthang, was a resident of Kakching Khunou in Kakching district. He had been working in Nepal and had returned to Manipur on leave on January 19 to visit his wife, Chingnu Haokip, who belongs to the Kuki community and resides in the Tuibong area of Churachandpur.
According to police sources, around 6.30 pm on Wednesday, three to four masked armed men arrived at the couple’s residence in Tuibong and forcibly abducted both Rishikanta and his wife in a four-wheeler. The assailants later released Chingnu Haokip, pushing her out of the moving vehicle, while Rishikanta was taken towards a secluded area near Natjang village under the Henglep police station.
He was later shot dead at close range. A chilling video of the execution, showing the victim kneeling with folded hands before being shot with an AK-series rifle, surfaced on social media late Wednesday night, prompting immediate police action.
Police recovered Rishikanta’s body from the Natjang area and shifted it to the Churachandpur District Hospital morgue in the early hours of Thursday. A suo motu FIR has been registered, and investigations are underway. Authorities suspect the involvement of members of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA), a militant group not signatory to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.
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Family members said Rishikanta and Chingnu Haokip were engaged and had planned to marry in May 2023, but the ceremony was postponed due to the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur. During his stay in Churachandpur, Rishikanta had reportedly used the name “Ginminthang” for safety reasons amid the prevailing ethnic divide. The couple had also taken prior permission from Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and Tuibong DHQ authorities for his visit, according to sources close to the family.
The killing sparked protests in Kakching district on Thursday, with residents blocking the Indo-Myanmar Sugnu Road. A Joint Action Committee (JAC) has been formed, demanding that the case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for an independent and comprehensive probe.
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 2025. Civil society groups and the JAC have criticised the administration and the Governor’s office, alleging a failure to protect civilians, particularly in buffer and sensitive zones.
The Meitei Heritage Society (MHS) strongly condemned the abduction and killing, calling it a “cold-blooded execution” and holding both the state and central governments accountable for what it described as a complete breakdown of law and order.
In a statement, the organisation alleged that such incidents reflect a continuing pattern of violence and impunity by armed militant groups.
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“The repeated assurances of improved law and order have failed to translate into safety for civilians,” the MHS said, demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved. The organisation also called for intensified security operations to dismantle armed militant networks and sought a clear, written action plan from the Centre and the Manipur government to prevent further abductions and killings.
Police said efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend the attackers, even as tensions remain high across parts of the state following the incident.
