Missing head of Naga man killed in Manipur attack recovered after five days

The severed head of Ajinpou Ringkamai, a Naga man allegedly killed in an attack by suspected Kuki armed men in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, was recovered by security forces on Wednesday, five days after the incident, officials said.

Ringkamai was among four Naga men allegedly killed in the October 10 attack at Makui village. His head was reportedly severed and taken away following the assault.

A joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Manipur Police recovered the missing head from an area near the site of the incident. The recovery came after several Naga organisations issued a 48-hour deadline to the authorities on October 12, demanding that the remains be traced. The recovered remains were subsequently taken to the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal.

Meanwhile, the Joint Tribes Council (JTC-Manipur) had suspended the post-mortem examinations of two Naga men, Dibambou Ringkangmai, 48, and Ajinbou Ringkamai, 52, who were among those allegedly killed in the attack. Their bodies had been brought to the JNIMS mortuary on October 12.

The council had demanded the recovery of the missing head and the arrest of three individuals — Thangboi Kipgen, David Hangsing and Dr Sailen Haokip — whom it named in a statement as alleged perpetrators. The allegations against the three individuals have not been independently established.

The JTC also alleged that those responsible for the attack were operating with impunity under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement. It held the Centre and the Manipur government responsible for what it described as a failure to act against the perpetrators and warned of further measures if its demands were not met within the stipulated deadline.

The recovery marks a key development in the case, which has triggered demands from Naga organisations for accountability and action against those responsible for the killings. Further details regarding the investigation and the next steps in the post-mortem examinations are awaited.