Manipur: NIA arrests key suspect in Jiribam village murder, arson case from Kerala

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another key suspect linked to the 2024 Jiribam violence in Manipur, which involved the brutal killing of a woman and the destruction of several homes in Zairawn village.

The accused, Rajkumar Maipaksana, was apprehended from Kannur district in Kerala. According to the NIA, he is a member of the banned insurgent outfit, People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK). He has been granted transit remand by the NIA Special Court in Kochi and will be produced before the Imphal NIA court in connection with the case.

“He was among the key perpetrators of the crime, in which a woman, Zosangkim, was massacred and several houses were set afire and looted in Zairawn village in November 2024,” the agency said in a statement.

This arrest follows the detention of two other insurgents last week, each affiliated with a separate extremist groups. All three are accused in case RC-13/2024/NIA/IMP.

The NIA confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing, with efforts underway to identify and capture other individuals involved in what it described as a "horrendous crime."