Kanggui, Aug 7, 2026: A Central Reserve Police Force personnel died at a security camp in Motbung under Sapermeina Police Station in Kangpokpi district on Tuesday morning.
Officials identified the deceased as Constable Vineet Singh, a native of Purvabajirao village in Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh. He was attached to F/112 Battalion and was currently undergoing pre-induction training with C/122 Company at the Motbung camp.
According to police sources, the incident occurred around 8:00 AM inside the camp premises. Fellow personnel alerted senior officers, following which a team from Sapermeina Police Station reached the spot.
Local sources claimed the jawan allegedly died by suicide and that a handwritten note was recovered from the camp. However, police have not confirmed the recovery of any suicide note and said all such claims are being verified as part of the investigation.
Police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination and other legal formalities. Police said the circumstances leading to the death are being verified and further investigation is in progress. The body of the constable will be handed over to his family after post-mortem.
Officials have not yet ascertained the motive behind the incident.
Heavy CAPF Deployment Along Buffer Zones
The development comes at a time when thousands of Central Armed Police Forces continue to remain deployed along the sensitive buffer zones separating Kuki, Naga and Meitei inhabited areas to prevent further escalation of violence.
These buffer zones, stretching from Kangpokpi to Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Imphal West and Ukhrul fringes, are heavily manned by a combined grid of CRPF, BSF, Assam Rifles, Sashastra Seema Bal, ITBP and the elite CoBRA commandos. Motbung itself is considered a critical buffer point between Kangpokpi and Imphal West, where central forces act as a neutral barrier.
According to the Manipur Police Administrative Report 2025-26, more than 300 CAPF companies are currently deployed in the state, including 206 companies of CRPF and 100 companies of BSF, besides additional units of Assam Rifles and two battalions of CoBRA that were inducted in June for counter-insurgency and area domination operations.
Security officials said the forces are tasked with maintaining law and order, securing National Highways, preventing movement of armed groups across buffer lines and ensuring protection of displaced persons.
From Kuki-Meitei Conflict to Kuki-Naga Tensions
Manipur has witnessed protracted ethnic violence since the outbreak of the Kuki-Meitei conflict on May 3, 2023. According to the Manipur Government and the Ministry of Home Affairs, the unrest has claimed over 260 lives in total and displaced more than 60,000 people across relief camps in both valley and hill districts.
Since early 2026, fresh tensions have also emerged between Kuki and Naga communities in the hill districts, particularly in Kangpokpi, Senapati and Ukhrul fringe areas, over land, buffer zone control and abduction related incidents.
Community-wise break-up of casualties remains contested. Kuki civil society organisations claim that more than 250 persons from the Kuki community have been killed since 2023, while Naga bodies have reported over 10 Naga deaths in related incidents since 2026. The state government has not released an official community-wise death toll for the Meitei community. Some local valley-based media outlets have claimed the Meitei toll could be higher, with unverified estimates crossing 1,000, however these figures have not been confirmed by the Manipur Police, the state government or the MHA and remain unverified. Independent verification is still awaited.
Police said the post-mortem is being conducted at the district hospital in the presence of a magistrate as per procedure for unnatural death cases involving security personnel. The CRPF unit has informed the family members in Uttar Pradesh and necessary assistance is being extended. Senior CRPF officers from Group Centre, Imphal West have also sought a detailed report from the battalion.
Meanwhile, sources in the security establishment said continuous deployment in high stress buffer zones, prolonged separation from families and difficult terrain conditions have raised concerns about the physical and mental health of jawans. Officials said welfare measures including rotational leave, counselling and medical screening are being strengthened for forces stationed in Manipur since 2023.
Since the outbreak of the Kuki-Meitei conflict and the recent Kuki-Naga tensions, more than 30 security personnel have also lost their lives in Manipur while on duty, according to combined figures shared by Manipur Police and security agencies.
The casualties include personnel from the Manipur Police Commando, India Reserve Battalion, Assam Rifles, Border Security Force and Gorkha Regiment units deployed for counter insurgency and buffer zone duties. Several personnel were killed in ambushes and attacks on security convoys along National Highway 2 near Kangpokpi and in Tengnoupal district.
Others died in accidental firing, health related incidents inside camps and IED related incidents during area domination operations. Officials said the difficult operational environment in the hill and fringe areas continues to pose a high risk for forces manning the buffer zones.
