Imphal– A chilling video of a Meitei man being brutally executed by suspected Kuki Zo militants has sent shockwaves through the already volatile state of Manipur, reigniting fears of escalating ethnic violence and derailing fragile peace efforts.
The victim, identified as Mayanglambam (tribal name Ginminthang), a resident of Kakching Khunou in the valley district, was kidnapped along with his Kuki wife, Chingnu Haokip, from Tuibong in Churachandpur district on Wednesday (January 21) evening around 6:30 p.m. The couple was allegedly abducted by armed miscreants believed to be affiliated with the United Kuki National Army (UKNA). They were taken toward Natjang near the Henglep area, where the man was coldly shot on camera while pleading desperately for his life.
The brutal footage of the heinous killing, which surfaced on social media late Wednesday and quickly went viral, captures the man’s final moments in harrowing detail. It depicts an extreme manifestation of the deep-seated ethnic hatred that has plagued Manipur since clashes erupted between Meitei and Kuki communities in May 2023. The video’s emergence has further disrupted ongoing peace processes in the violence-hit state, where intermittent clashes, blockades, and targeted killings continue to undermine stability.
Churachandpur Superintendent of Police Gaurav Dogra confirmed the incident and stated that security operations have been launched to apprehend the perpetrators, with intensified searches underway in the rugged terrain of Churachandpur and surrounding areas. “We are treating this with the utmost urgency,” Dogra said, urging the public to share any leads while warning against the spread of unverified videos that could inflame tensions.
Adding a tragic layer to the horror, investigations revealed that Chingnu Haokip had taken prior consent from Kuki militant groups, specifically the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and Tuibong DHQ authorities, to allow her husband to visit her for a few days. Mayanglambam, who works in Nepal, had returned on leave to spend time with his wife in the Kuki-dominated hill district. Despite this permission, the couple fell victim to the kidnappers, and the wife’s fate remains unclear in initial reports.
This incident underscores the perilous inter-community relationships in Manipur’s divided landscape. The Meitei man’s cross-ethnic marriage, once a symbol of unity, turned fatal amid the state’s protracted conflict, which has claimed hundreds of lives, displaced tens of thousands, and drawn national attention. Security analysts fear it could provoke retaliatory violence in the Imphal Valley, where Meitei groups have already condemned the killing as a “barbaric act of terrorism.”
Manipur Police and central forces have ramped up patrols in sensitive border areas between valley and hill districts. As the video continues to circulate despite platform takedowns, it serves as a grim reminder of Manipur’s fragile peace. With operations ongoing, residents brace for potential escalation in this troubled Northeast state.
