Naga Women Union Manipur demands justice after six Naga civilians killed brutally

The Naga Women Union (NWU), Manipur, on Monday, June 15, demanded an impartial and swift investigation into the abduction and brutal killing of six Naga civilians, warning of intensified protests if the victims do not receive justice.

Speaking at a press conference at the Manipur Press Club, NWU President Priscilla Thuimai condemned the recovery of the bodies, which she said were found mutilated and dismembered and are currently held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) mortuary. The victims were reportedly abducted on May 13 and later killed, she said.

Thuimai also criticized the admission of three injured Kuki individuals to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal following an exchange of gunfire near Leilon Vaiphei and Konsakhul villages in Kangpokpi district. She said the decision to treat the injured at RIMS has inflamed tensions and described it as “unfortunate,” arguing the wounded could instead have been taken to the Leimakhong Army Camp hospital to avoid provoking local communities.

Calling for accountability, the NWU president urged the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the probe and carry out a bias-free investigation. “If the investigating agency is independent and thorough, the people will have faith in the process,” she said, according to her remarks at the press briefing. Thuimai also questioned updates from local investigators and demanded clear communication from authorities about the progress of the inquiry.

“The Naga community across the globe has arisen,” she warned, adding that the union will launch “various intense agitation” if justice is not delivered. Thuimai blamed delayed or insufficient action on earlier hostage incidents for allowing the situation to escalate, calling it a failure of government agencies to act decisively.

Authorities have not yet released a detailed public update on the investigation or named suspects. Security forces and civil administration officials in Manipur were not immediately available for comment.

The killings come amid longstanding ethnic tensions in the state, where cycles of violence between communities have periodically erupted into widespread clashes. Human rights groups and community leaders have repeatedly urged prompt, transparent investigations into such incidents to prevent impunity and further violence.