A 71-year-old farmer identified as Hemjang Haokip was discovered dead in a forested area of Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Sunday afternoon, roughly a day after he went missing under troubling circumstances. A resident of Khunkho Kuki Village near Leimakhong, Haokip had disappeared on Saturday after an agricultural hut located on his farmland was set ablaze, prompting widespread concern among family members and local villagers.
Torched Farm Hut and Abduction Allegations
According to the Khunkho Kuki Village Authority, armed NSCN-IM cadres arrived at the farm on Saturday and forcibly abducted the elderly farmer. The attackers also set fire to the field hut during the incident. The sudden disappearance of the senior citizen and the destruction of his field shelter generated severe alarm across the surrounding villages, prompting immediate calls for an urgent search operation.
Joint Search Operation Leads to Recovery in Dense Forest
A multi-agency search effort was promptly organized, bringing together state police personnel, central security forces, and local volunteers. Search teams intensified their ground operations on Sunday morning after discovering the missing farmer's personal clothing, including his trousers, shirt, and sweater, discarded in the area. To navigate the rugged woodland terrain, security forces deployed sniffer dogs, whose scent tracking guided the search party deeper into the forest. Around 2:30 pm, the joint team located Haokip's body in the S. Golai area.
Uncertain Circumstances Surrounding Cause of Death
Initial visual examinations of the recovered body revealed no evident bullet injuries. Observations from local community members suggested that the victim might have endured an assault prior to being bound. Nevertheless, law enforcement officials have not yet released an official determination regarding the precise physical cause or circumstances of his death, with further forensic evaluation required to establish the full sequence of events.
Community Protests at Leimakhong Bazar and Demands for Justice
The disappearance and subsequent death of the septuagenarian farmer sparked deep distress and public anger across the district. Following his abduction, Kuki-Zo women gathered at Leimakhong bazar to conduct a peaceful sit-in demonstration demanding his safe return. The victim's wife took part in the demonstration, publicly addressing the crowd about her husband's sudden disappearance. The Khunkho Kuki Village Authority condemned the crime, describing it as a calculated act of violence against a vulnerable senior citizen and a grave breach of basic human rights. The community leadership formally urged the state administration and law enforcement agencies to launch an immediate investigation to bring the culprits to account.
