Three arrested by NIA in relation to the deadly attack in Manipur clashes

The National Investigative Agency has arrested three individuals linked to banned militant outfits in connection with two violent incidents that took place amid ethnic clashes in Manipur.

According to official two of the arrested- Nongthombam Meiraba from Bishnupur District and Sagolsem Sanatomba aka Suruchamdra Singh from Thoubal- were apprehended concerning their alleged role in the attack on Zairwan Village of Jiribam district in November 2024.

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Both of them are, according to NIA, active members of the United National Liberation Front ( UNLF) and Kanglei Yaowl Kanna Lup (KYKL), respectively. Formed in 1964, UNLF is one of Manipur's most prominent and active militant groups working to establish an Independent Manipur free from Indian rule, particularly drawing support from the Meitei community. It had been banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). In 2023, the group signed a suspension of operations agreement, indicating a potential shift towards peace negotiations. KYKL was split from UNLF to achieve an ethnic revolution in Manipur, to restore Meitei dignity and purity.

In a related incident, Waikhom Rohit Singh, associated with the Kangleipak Communist Party- People's War Group, was arrested on April 30 for his role in the conspiracy to murder and abduction case with the ethnic clashes in Manipur in November 2023.

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Murder and abduction related to the militant outfit

In November 2023, a large mob of angry people intercepted a bolero, which was detained by the CRPF in the naka duty in the Khangchup Chingkhong area of Imphal West district. The vehicle was carrying five persons belonging to one of the two main communities belonging to the ethnic clashes of Manipur. The mob then forcibly took away four of the five persons; one managed to escape. The bodies of three of the four persons were recovered later.

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The ethnic clashes of Manipur, between the Meitei and the Kuki community, have resulted in the death of 260 people and injured thousands. The clash had resulted in the displacement of more than 50,000 people. These violent ethnic clashes have drawn significant scrutiny from the national and international community.

According to NIA, this set of arrests was part of a broader effort to dismantle the cycle of terror in the North-Eastern region of India. NIA had taken over the case from the Ministry of Home Affairs in February 2024.

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