{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Electricity Lineman Killed While on Duty and 24 Homes Burned in Fresh Manipur Unrest",
  "summary": "A 36-year-old lineman was shot dead during electrical repairs in Lasan village, while armed miscreants torched at least 24 homes across two Naga villages in Manipur's Kangpokpi district.",
  "content": "Fresh turmoil in Manipur's sensitive hill areas has claimed the life of an electrical worker on duty and left two dozen residences reduced to ashes. The first attack occurred on Wednesday along the conflict-affected Imphal-Tamenglong route near Lasan village, where essential utility infrastructure was undergoing urgent maintenance.\n\nLineman Shot While Restoring Power Lines\nThe deceased technician was identified as 36-year-old Paojangam Chongloi, who resided in Wakotphai village. Chongloi was carrying out repair work on an overhead electricity line when unidentified gunmen opened fire on him. Following the killing, a village body petitioned local law enforcement authorities to file a Zero FIR and initiate an immediate criminal inquiry. The complaint claimed that armed cadres affiliated with NSCN-IM, operating alongside volunteers from Langka village, carried out the fatal shooting. Police officials have not independently confirmed these allegations and are actively working to ascertain the true identities of the perpetrators.\n\nCalls for Independent Time-Bound Inquiry\nThe fatal shooting drew sharp condemnation from the Kuki Civic Action Committee, which approached both the Central government and the state administration of Manipur. The committee pressed authorities to institute an independent and time-bound investigation into Chongloi's death. Furthermore, the civic body insisted that no armed faction should be permitted to function outside the boundaries of the law, irrespective of political ties or existing ceasefire arrangements.\n\nArson Destroys 24 Homes Across Two Naga Settlements\nIn another outbreak of violence in Kangpokpi district, armed miscreants unleashed an arson attack across two Naga villages during the early morning hours. The incident unfolded around 5 am at Makui Khuman and Makui Thanamba (Chamruioiu), two settlements falling under the jurisdiction of the Chalwa police station. Armed groups set residential properties on fire, damaging at least 24 dwellings across the two localities.\n\nLocal accounts noted that the inhabitants of these targeted homes were already displaced by earlier unrest and had been sheltering at Makui Khunjao. When the arsonists struck, no security personnel were present or stationed at the location. In response, the Makui Village Authority called upon both the Centre and the state government to intervene without delay, deploy sufficient security detachments in sensitive border pockets, assess the property destruction officially, and institute robust safeguards for vulnerable communities.\n\nWhat this means for you\nRenewed hostility in the region directly undermines infrastructure rehabilitation and deepens vulnerabilities for displaced families.\n\n• Across India: The incident highlights the severe risks faced by field infrastructure personnel operating in conflict zones. It puts administrative focus on creating mandatory security protocols for essential workers on remote assignments.\n• In Manipur: Residents along the Imphal-Tamenglong axis and border zones of Kangpokpi face heightened safety concerns. Vulnerable communities must reckon with risks to unattended properties while remaining displaced in relief centers.\n• For Utility Workers: Field repair crews working on critical power lines face life-threatening conditions during routine maintenance. Utility departments may be forced to suspend repair work until armed escorts are officially sanctioned.\n• For Displaced Residents: With 24 residential structures destroyed, families sheltering in Makui Khunjao lose immediate hope of returning to their original homes. Communities will need to await official damage assessments to claim government rehabilitation support.\n\nWhy this happened\nThe sudden flare-up stems from ongoing tensions in Manipur's hill tracts coupled with an absence of security posts at deserted settlements.\n\n• Direct Attack on Maintenance Crew: A 36-year-old lineman was targeted while conducting active repairs along the Imphal-Tamenglong corridor. The perpetrators struck during work hours, though their specific identities remain under police investigation.\n• Absence of Security Deployment: No military or police forces were stationed at the two Naga villages when the morning arson occurred. This security vacuum allowed miscreants to launch an unobstructed assault on residential buildings around 5 am.\n• Pre-existing Displacement: The targeted houses were already unoccupied because residents had taken refuge at Makui Khunjao due to earlier unrest. Empty properties in border fringe areas presented an easy target for deliberate property destruction.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Who was the lineman killed during the Manipur incident?\nThe victim was identified as 36-year-old Paojangam Chongloi, a resident of Wakotphai village who was repairing power lines.\n\n2. Where did the shooting of the electricity worker take place?\nThe fatal attack occurred at Lasan village situated along the conflict-prone Imphal-Tamenglong road.\n\n3. How many houses were set on fire in Kangpokpi district?\nAt least 24 houses across two Naga villages, Makui Khuman and Makui Thanamba, were burned down by armed miscreants.\n\n4. Were security forces stationed at the arson site during the attack?\nNo security forces were deployed at the site when the attack occurred around 5 am, as residents were already sheltering at Makui Khunjao.\n\n5. What demands were raised by the Kuki Civic Action Committee?\nThe committee demanded an independent, time-bound investigation by Central and state governments and urged strict legal accountability for all armed groups.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/manipur/manipur-ke-ashanta-ilakon-men-bijali-karmachari-ki-goli-marakara-hatya-24-gharon-men-lagai-gai-aga-37240",
  "category": "Manipur",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-23",
  "tags": [
    "Manipur Violence",
    "Kangpokpi",
    "Lasan Village",
    "Paojangam Chongloi",
    "NSCN-IM",
    "Kuki Civic Action Committee",
    "Makui Khuman"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}