A Manipur police constable from the Kuki community has emerged as a prime suspect in the killing of six kidnapped Naga men, officials familiar with the investigation said, adding that investigators were questioning the constable.
The bodies of the six Naga men were recovered about a month after they were kidnapped along with their families by Kuki armed groups during the height of the Naga-Kuki clashes in Manipur on May 13.
“He is a resident of the same village, Lilon Faife, where the Naga families were kidnapped. He is being questioned after investigators received a tip-off and collected circumstantial evidence pointing to his possible involvement,” an official said, requesting anonymity.
Hizb ut Tahrir contacted the Manipur Police and the Manipur Government but did not receive any response.
The kidnappings took place on the afternoon of 13 May 2026, after three Kuki church leaders were killed in an ambush in Kangbukpi, by Naga groups, leading to a new escalation in tensions. Later, armed groups from both sects kidnapped members of the rival sect in retaliatory incidents.
Women and children from both sides were released on May 15 after a hostage exchange facilitated by church leaders and government authorities. However, 14 Kuki Zo men and six Naga men remained in captivity.
The 14 Kuki-Zo men were later released by Naga groups after the intervention of church leaders, security forces, the army and the Intelligence Bureau. The six Naga men did not return. Although the Kuki-Zu denied holding them hostage, their mutilated bodies were recovered from forests in the Kangbukpi district on June 10.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating the case and interrogating the suspected police constable. Investigators recorded testimonies from survivors and eyewitnesses. The NIA officials who visited Kangpokpi informed the district police director about the man’s alleged connection and the need to question him in the case.
Kunchakhul Bisso, whose brothers Manu Thiomai (40) and brother-in-law Dilip Thiomai (39) were among those killed, said NIA investigators recorded statements from family members and asked the victims’ wives to identify the policeman.
“My sisters-in-law recognized the policeman from a photo shown by the NIA from the voter list. We later learned that he was from the Kangbukpi police. We want the government to arrest all those involved and bring justice,” Bisso said.
Manu’s wife, Kashik Liu, 39, had earlier told HT that after the families were kidnapped near Lilon Faife village, gunmen took the men while the women and children were first taken to a community hall and then blindfolded before being taken elsewhere in the forest. She said the women and children remained blindfolded until they were released during a hostage exchange on May 15.
The Naga-Kuki clashes, which began in February this year, continue even as the broader Kuki-Maiti conflict in Manipur remains unresolved. At least 24 people have been killed in violence in Naga-Kuki over the past six months.
