The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a Moreh resident, the prime suspect, in connection with the 2023 murder of a Chingtham Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO).
SDPO (Moreh) Chingtham Anand Kumar, officer-in-charge of Moreh Police Station, was supervising the clearing of land for the construction of a helipad on a school grounds in Moreh, a market town close to the border with Myanmar, when he was shot with a sniper rifle from some distance.
The wounded officer was taken to a nearby health center and later airlifted to Imphal, 130 km away, where he succumbed to his injuries.
A Manipur police officer was killed by suspected Kuki militants using sophisticated weapons in 2023, a statement issued by the agency on Thursday said.
“The accused, Utkhotang Bait @Utkhutang Bait, a resident of Moreh in Tenjupal district of Manipur, was involved in the conspiracy behind the attack by members of the suspected Kuki militant group on the district police team at a stadium,” the statement added.
Moreh police had registered a case, and the NIA took over the investigation in March 2024.
Earlier this month, the anti-terrorism agency arrested another accused, Kamginthang Gangti, in the case, the statement said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
Manipur has been witnessing a crisis since May 3, 2023, amid clashes between the Meitei and Kuki Zu communities. The agitation has already claimed more than 260 lives, but the latest RTI reply cited by a senior Congress leader said 217 people were paid ex-gratia. In addition, more than 60,000 people have been displaced.
