Imphal, Jun 8: A 57-year-old man, stated to be a village guard, was shot dead inside a forest in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Monday, hours after he had gone there to collect firewood, officials said.
The man belonging to the Naga community had gone to nearby jungles in the morning.
Officials quoting locals said that after gunshots were heard, villagers and police personnel went to look for Chungjabglung Kamuga Panmei. His body bearing bullet marks including one on his head was found in the forest.
The village is located near Loibol Khullen where three civilians, including a woman, were killed in a gun attack on June 5.
Meanwhile, the Naga People’s Organisation (NPO) claimed that Panmei used a volunteer as a village guard and described his killing as “cold-blooded murder.”
In a statement, the NPO alleged that he was not killed for any crime but targeted solely because of his Naga identity.
The organisation has called upon the authorities concerned to immediately initiate a thorough and time-bound investigation into the incident and ensure that those responsible for the killing are apprehended.
At least 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless since May 2023 due to ethnic violence in Manipur between the valley-based Meiteis and the Kukis who live in the hill districts.
Following continued ethic clashes and the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, the state was placed under President’s Rule on February 13, 2025. It was lifted nearly a year later on February 4. (PTI
