NIA-led team arrests two in connection with killing of six Naga civilians in Manipur

Imphal, Jul 10 (PTI) A team of security officials led by the National Investigation Agency arrested two persons from Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Friday morning for their alleged involvement in the killing of six Naga civilians, police said. According to them, the operation was carried out by a joint team of Manipur Police, NIA and CRPF based on credible inputs. They launched the operation at Leilon Vaiphei in the early hours of Friday to apprehend two accused who were allegedly involved in the killing of six Naga persons on May 13 in the same village. Police said that a woman, Ayingbi, and another person, Pradip, were apprehended from the Kuki-Zo village. The bodies of six Naga civilians were recovered from the vicinity of Leilon Vaiphei village on June 10, triggering protests by Naga and Meitei communities demanding the arrest of the perpetrators. Naga groups had also blocked all routes to Kangpokpi district, leading to a massive surge in the prices of essential commodities in the Kuki-Zo majority district. Days after the bodies were found, Kuki Zo Council (KZC) chairman Henlienthang Thanglet apologised for the incident and called for an impartial investigation into all acts of violence linked to the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur. "I admit the Kuki-Zo people made a grave mistake in killing the six Naga civilians. It was done out of emotion. I strongly condemn it. I am very sorry and apologise on behalf of my people," he had told a press conference. However, a day later, KZC stated that certain portions of Thanglet's remarks had been "misconstrued as an admission of responsibility by the Kuki-Zo community". It stated that the chairperson's expression of sorrow was made purely in the spirit of humanity, compassion, and moral responsibility and "was not intended to assign collective guilt". The clarification came as an influential Naga students' organisation expressed anger at the apology issued by the KZC chief over the killing of six Naga hostages in the state. PTI COR NSD