Manipur: CRPF convoy carrying mortal remains was never blocked, T. Waichong village chief calls reports ‘fabricated’

The chief of T. Waichong village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district has strongly rejected reports alleging that a CRPF convoy carrying the mortal remains of four Liangmei youths was obstructed or stopped at the village on August 27.

In a press clarification, T. Waichong village chief L. Kipgen termed the reports “entirely false, fabricated and devoid of ground reality,” asserting that neither the villagers nor the village authority blocked, hindered or interfered with the convoy at any point.

Kipgen said such allegations could create unnecessary friction and further deepen communal mistrust between neighbouring communities that have coexisted for generations.

He pointed to the presence of senior security officials during the movement of the convoy, stating that the Commanding Officer of the 112 Battalion CRPF and the Superintendent of Police, Kangpokpi, were present on the ground and accompanied the convoy. According to the village chief, their firsthand presence and operational records could corroborate the village's account.

The village authority also urged civil society organisations, particularly those functioning under the aegis of the United Naga Council (UNC), to exercise restraint and verify information through authentic ground-level sources before issuing statements.

Kipgen further appealed to media organisations to follow journalistic standards by verifying allegations with officials on the ground and retracting reports that remain uncorroborated.

The clarification comes amid heightened sensitivity in the Kangpokpi-Senapati region, where competing narratives surrounding incidents involving different communities have the potential to further strain already fragile inter-community relations.