Kuki CSOs in Manipur's Ukhrul condole BSF personnel’s death, seek NIA probe

Civil society organisations representing the Kuki community in Ukhrul district of Manipur have expressed condolences over the death of a Border Security Force (BSF) personnel who succumbed to injuries sustained in a firing incident, and have called for an independent probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

In a statement, the Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, said Constable Mithun Mandal of the 170 Battalion was critically injured during a firing incident at Mongkot Chepu at around 4:50 pm on Friday. He was later taken to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal, where he died of his injuries.

The committee described the constable as having died in the line of duty and extended condolences to his family. It stated that his death had added to the sense of grief in the conflict-affected hill regions of Manipur.

The organisation also raised concerns regarding the circumstances of the incident. Citing initial accounts from security personnel and local residents, it alleged that the firing originated from elevated positions near the Kholkai waterfall area, reportedly from the direction of Lilen Hill.

According to the statement, the constable was seated on a verandah near a waiting shed in Ward No. 1 of Mongkot Chepu, facing Highway-202, when a bullet penetrated a GI sheet wall and struck him in the chest, causing critical injuries.

The committee said that despite being transported to Imphal with assistance from local residents, the constable could not be saved.

It further stated that the incident has heightened concerns among residents in the area, particularly in Mongkot Chepu, and questioned what it described as the lack of action against alleged militant positions in the vicinity.

Calling for accountability, the organisation urged that the case be investigated by the National Investigation Agency and called for action against those responsible.

The statement also appealed to media organisations to avoid the dissemination of unverified information and urged civil society groups across communities to engage constructively in establishing facts related to the incident.

The death of the BSF personnel has drawn attention to the continuing volatility in Manipur’s hill districts, where intermittent violence has persisted amid ongoing efforts by authorities to stabilise the situation.