Farmer shot dead in Manipur’s Tamenglong district, security tightened

A farmer was shot dead in Manipur’s Tamenglong district on Tuesday, June 9 after a group of suspected armed miscreants allegedly opened fire on cultivators working in a paddy field, officials said.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 11:30 am at Lansan Kuki village under the jurisdiction of Tamei Police Station in Tamenglong district. A group of farmers was reportedly working in a paddy field along the Imphal-Tamenglong road near Lansan village when unidentified armed men opened fire.

The deceased was identified as Haogin Louvum (55), a resident of Lansan Kuki village in Tamenglong district. Police said the victim belonged to the Kuki community.

Officials stated that local residents have alleged the involvement of armed cadres suspected to be associated with the Zeliangrong United Front (Kamson) faction, a Naga militant outfit. However, police said the identity of the attackers and any group responsible for the incident has not been officially confirmed.

The body has been recovered and shifted to Kangpokpi district for necessary legal procedures. A case has been registered at the concerned police station and an investigation is underway.

Police said tension continues to prevail along the Imphal-Tamenglong road region following the incident, prompting authorities to strengthen security deployment in the area.

The killing occurred amid heightened tensions between Naga and Kuki communities. Earlier on Tuesday, 14 Kuki civilians who had been in the custody of Naga civil bodies since May 13 were released. The civilians had been held following the twin ambush incidents in Kangpokpi and Noney districts that claimed four lives, including three church leaders and one Naga man.

Inter-community tensions further escalated after another violent incident on Monday in which Chunjanglung Panmei (57), a Naga civilian, was killed in an alleged ambush by unidentified armed miscreants at Pongringlong Part-I in Kangpokpi district. The victim was reportedly among a group of villagers who had gone to collect firewood when the attack took place.

Meanwhile, the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills alleged that Haogin Louvum was killed by cadres of the NSCN-IM Kamson group. The organisation further claimed that the deceased’s body was not allowed to pass through Makui village while being transported for his last rites.

In a separate statement, the Kuki Inpi Manipur, the apex civil body of the Kuki community, described the incident as a “cold-blooded murder” and alleged a serious failure of the state’s security apparatus. The organisation said the killing raised concerns over the safety of vulnerable Kuki-Zo villages in Tamenglong district and questioned the adequacy of security measures in the region.

The organisation also urged the district administration and security agencies to explain why vulnerable Kuki-Zo villagers continue to face security threats despite the prevailing tensions in the area.

Authorities have not yet issued any official statement regarding the allegations made by the Kuki organisations. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.