Abducted 71-year-old Kuki man found dead in Manipur's Kangpokpi, community decides not to claim body

A 71-year-old Kuki man who was allegedly abducted from his farm in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district was found dead on Sunday, October 4 with his hands and legs tied with rope, ending a search operation that had continued since his disappearance on October 3.

Hemjang Haokip, a resident of Khunkho Kuki village near the Leimakhong Army Headquarters, was allegedly abducted from his farm hut by armed NSCN-IM militants, according to the Khunkho Kuki Village Authority. His farm hut was also allegedly set ablaze by the armed men, following which his whereabouts remained unknown.

Haokip’s body was recovered at around 2.30 pm from the S. Golai area by a joint search team comprising police, central security forces and local residents.

The search operation was intensified after Haokip’s farm trousers, shirt and sweater were found during a morning search. Security forces subsequently deployed sniffer dogs to trace his whereabouts, leading the joint team deeper into the forested area where his body was eventually located.

Local sources said there were no apparent bullet injuries on the body and suspected that Haokip may have been beaten to death after being tied up. The exact circumstances and cause of his death are yet to be officially established.

The alleged abduction had triggered protests in the area, with Kuki-Zo women staging a peaceful sit-in at Leimakhong bazar demanding the elderly farmer’s safe release. Haokip’s wife also joined the protest and recalled the last time she saw her husband.

According to her, the couple had returned from their farm to the village on Thursday as she had to attend a women’s society worship service at a church on Friday. Haokip returned to the farm on Saturday to tend to their cattle and agricultural activities but did not return, she said.

The Khunkho Kuki Village Authority had earlier condemned the alleged abduction and described it as a targeted attack on a senior citizen. It had urged the state government and security agencies to investigate the incident and take action against those responsible.

The village authority had also issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding Haokip’s safe and unconditional release by October 4, warning of democratic protests if he was not returned. The deadline, however, passed with the recovery of his body.

Following the recovery, the community decided not to claim Haokip’s body in line with an earlier decision of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) concerning Kuki-Zo bodies lying unclaimed in morgues.

The body is likely to be kept at a morgue, possibly at Churachandpur District Hospital, sources said.

The KZC had, during a recent consultation meeting in Kangpokpi, set October 10 as the deadline for the Government of India to address the issue of Kuki-Zo bodies kept unclaimed at the Churachandpur District Hospital morgue. The council has also announced plans for a series of agitations if its demands are not addressed.

According to the KZC, eight Kuki-Zo bodies were already lying unclaimed at the Churachandpur District Hospital morgue, excluding Haokip’s body recovered on Sunday. With his death, the community says the number of unclaimed Kuki-Zo bodies has risen to nine.

The KZC has alleged that the bodies belong to people killed by armed NSCN-IM cadres and their alleged proxy group ZUF-K. These allegations have not been independently established.

Haokip’s death comes amid continuing violence and insecurity in parts of Manipur, where the abduction and killing of the elderly farmer has raised fresh concerns over the safety of civilians in conflict-affected areas.