Chassad: The Kuki Human Rights Forum (KHRF) has registered its strongest condemnation over the killing of Pi Domkhonei Touthang, wife of Pu Lallenmang Touthang, in Chassad village, Kamjong district, on Friday night. In a statement issued on October 9, 2026, the Forum termed the incident a barbaric and cold-blooded killing, alleging that she was shot directly in the lower neck by personnel of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) stationed at Chassad.
According to the KHRF statement, Pi Domkhonei was part of a peaceful protest by local womenfolk against the alleged arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention of Chassad village youths by Tangkhul IRB personnel. The protest was held in the village around 9:00 PM. During the protest, firing allegedly broke out, and Domkhonei sustained a bullet injury. She succumbed to her injuries at approximately 9:40 PM, leaving behind her husband, three sons, and two daughters. The Forum said it stands in solidarity with the bereaved family and demanded immediate justice.
The KHRF stated that firing lethal ammunition at unarmed civilian women exercising their right to protest is a heinous crime and a deliberate provocation aimed at worsening the already volatile situation in Kamjong district. The organisation alleged complicity of elements within the state mechanism and claimed that joining hands with Tangkhul groups in systematically oppressing the Kuki people severely compromises the neutrality and authority of security personnel. These are allegations made by the Forum in its statement.
The Forum further alleged that Tangkhul militants in Kamjong district are operating in collusion with the Myanmar-based outfit, the Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA), and moving with impunity along the border areas. It stated that such an alliance between local armed entities and foreign elements along India’s international border poses a direct threat to national security and territorial integrity. The veracity of this allegation is yet to be independently verified by central agencies.
Kuki Mother of Five Shot Dead in Chassad; Villagers Allege Naga IRB & Police Personnel Opened Fire
In light of the incident, the Kuki Human Rights Forum has demanded that the Government of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs take immediate and decisive action. Its key demands include a time-bound, independent judicial inquiry into the fatal shooting of Pi Domkhonei Touthang, the immediate arrest and criminal prosecution of the IRB personnel involved in the firing, and the urgent release of the youths who were allegedly arbitrarily detained by security forces in Chassad.
The Forum also demanded the immediate deployment of neutral central security forces to safeguard the remaining Kuki villages in Kamjong district, stating that villagers no longer feel safe under the current deployment. It emphasized that no uniform, position, or institutional authority should place anyone above the law and that those who perpetrate violence against civilians must be brought to justice without delay, to restore public confidence in the rule of law.
Meanwhile, tension continues to prevail in Chassad village following the death of Domkhonei Touthang. The family of the deceased, along with local residents, has also appealed for an impartial and transparent investigation into the incident. Till the time of filing this report, no official statement had been issued by the district administration, Manipur Police, or the IRB authorities regarding the allegations levelled in the KHRF condemnation.
