Manipur Erupts in Protest After Abducted Kuki Youths Found Dead; CoTU Demands Deputy CM’s Removal

Manipur: Violent clashes broke out in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Sunday night, after joint security forces recovered the mutilated bodies of two missing Kuki-Zo youths, Paoginlal Hangsing and Tinginlun Chongloi, stuffed in gunny bags at a banana plantation. The victims had been abducted at gunpoint from the Taphou Kuki village area on 28 October 2026.

Following the discovery, angry demonstrators blocked National Highway-2 and pelted stones at security personnel, who deployed tear gas and baton charges to disperse the crowds. In response, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) enforced an indefinite closure of government offices and extended a total district shutdown.

CoTU issued a rigid five-point charter of demands, explicitly refusing to claim the bodies for final rites until they are met. Foremost among these is the immediate removal or resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, whom the group accused of administrative negligence.

CoTU spokesperson Ng. Lun Kipgen stated that the shutdown had previously been extended in good faith, "expecting the Deputy Chief Minister to persuade his people in Senapati to ensure the safe release of the two Kuki-Zo youths." The group is also demanding an independent probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the shifting of Taphou Kuki village under Kangpokpi police jurisdiction.

Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho strongly condemned the killings, stating, "Senseless acts of violence and killing must be condemned unequivocally... no grievances or disagreements can ever justify taking a human life."

Fellow Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen also expressed deep shock, adding that "what began with hopes for their safe return has ended in a tragedy," while appealing to citizens to maintain restraint and prevent further communal escalation.

The ethnic friction remains critical, occurring alongside another weekend clash in Noney district that left three others dead.

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