New Delhi: The Kuki Human Rights Council (KHRC) has strongly condemned what it termed as a series of heinous, barbaric and inhuman crimes committed against civilians in Kamjong and Ukhrul districts on 9th and 10th October 2026, in which two Kuki civilians including a woman protester and a village guard, and one Nepali civilian were killed and an entire Kuki village was burnt down. In a press release Ref No. KHRC/PR/CONDEMN/2026-10/012 issued by its Department of Information & Publicity on Oct 10, the Council alleged that the incidents involved combined forces of India Reserve Battalion (IRB), Manipur Police and cadres of Naga armed groups under ceasefire.
According to KHRC, the first incident occurred on 9th October at around 9:40 PM at Chassad village in Kamjong district. The Council claimed that Nu Domkhonei Touthang, 40, wife of Pu Lallenmang Touthang and mother of five minor children, was participating in a peaceful women protest against the arbitrary and illegal arrest of Kuki village volunteers. As per eyewitnesses cited by KHRC, combined forces of IRB, Manipur Police and NSCN-Eastern Flank (NSCN-EF) opened indiscriminate firing upon unarmed Kuki women protesters, in which Touthang was shot dead in cold blood.
The second incident, according to the release, took place on the morning of 10th October at Chassad Kuki village. KHRC alleged that cadres of NSCN-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and NSCN-EF launched a deadly attack and completely burnt down the entire village, reducing hundreds of houses to ashes and rendering hundreds of families homeless and displaced. The Council stated that this is the second time Chassad village has been burnt down by NSCN-IM, the first being in March 2020, leading to a fresh humanitarian crisis.
During the same attack on Chassad on 10th October morning, KHRC said one Kuki village guard who was defending the village was killed. The deceased has been identified as Michael Ngamminlen Haokip (23), son of Pu Paothang Haokip. KHRC alleged that Haokip was shot dead by the attacking cadres of NSCN-IM and NSCN-EF while defending the village and termed his death as an extrajudicial killing by armed groups operating with impunity.
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The third incident reported by KHRC occurred on 10th October at Chingphei / Yaolen area in Ukhrul district. The Council alleged that Mr. Sanjit Raj Nepali, resident of Chingphei / Yaolen, was ambushed and brutally killed by cadres of NSCN-IM and Zeliangrong United Front-Kamson (ZUF-K). KHRC said the killing of a Nepali civilian in Ukhrul shows that the violence is not limited to one community and indicates a pattern of extortion and targeting of minorities.
Terming the three incidents as interlinked, KHRC said the collusion of state forces with proscribed Naga militants, the systematic burning of Kuki villages, the killing of a Kuki woman protester, the killing of a village guard and the killing of a Nepali civilian clearly shows a pattern of targeted persecution, ethnic cleansing, extortion and systematic human rights violations with impunity. The Council said these acts are a blatant violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. It held the Government of India, Government of Manipur, DGP Manipur, Commandant IRB and the Ceasefire Monitoring Group responsible for allowing Naga militant groups under ceasefire to carry arms and operate along with uniformed state forces.
In its charter of demands, KHRC demanded immediate registration of FIR under Section 103 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against personnel of IRB, Manipur Police and NSCN-EF for killing Nu Domkhonei Touthang, against NSCN-IM and NSCN-EF for burning Chassad and killing Haokip, and against NSCN-IM and ZUF-K for killing Sanjit Raj Nepali, and arrest and prosecution of all culprits. It further demanded immediate withdrawal of IRB and Manipur Police from Kamjong and Ukhrul and deployment of neutral central forces, abrogation of ceasefire, disarmament and arrest of NSCN-IM, NSCN-EF and ZUF-K cadres.
KHRC also demanded immediate rehabilitation, reconstruction and adequate relief for displaced families of Chassad, and ex-gratia compensation, government job and full security and educational support to families of Domkhonei Touthang, Haokip and Sanjit Raj Nepali. The Council conveyed condolences to bereaved families and appealed to NHRC, National Commission for Women, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and National Commission for Minorities to take suo-moto cognizance and intervene urgently.
