Chassad/Kamjong: Tension has gripped Chassad village in Kamjong district after a Kuki woman was allegedly shot dead during a protest on Friday night. The deceased has been identified as Domkhonei Touthang, wife of Lallenmang Touthang and mother of five children. She sustained gunshot injuries during the protest and succumbed around 9:40 PM.
According to local sources, the protest began around 9:00 PM against the alleged arrest and detention of village volunteers by security forces stationed in the area. Villagers said they had gathered peacefully to question the detention when firing allegedly broke out. Domkhonei, who was among the protesters, was hit and collapsed on the spot. She was declared dead shortly after.
Villagers have alleged that personnel belonging to the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) and Manipur Police posted in Chassad opened fire on the protesting civilians. Some local accounts further alleged that Naga personnel within the IRB company were involved in the firing and in assaulting Kuki civilians during the incident. These allegations were made by villagers on the ground and have not yet been officially verified. No official statement confirming the identity of the personnel involved had been issued at the time of filing this report.
Chassad is a Kuki village situated near the Ukhrul-Kamjong border and the area has witnessed heightened sensitivity in recent months over security deployment and the detention of village volunteers. Following the death, residents raised serious concerns over the safety of civilians, particularly women, and questioned the use of lethal force during a civilian protest. They have demanded that the incident be investigated impartially and transparently.
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The family of the deceased and Kuki civil society organisations have appealed to the Government of Manipur to immediately investigate the incident, establish the exact circumstances leading to the firing, make the findings public, and take stringent action against IRB and Police personnel if found guilty of misuse of force. They said justice must be ensured for Domkhonei Touthang and her five children.
Till late Friday night, the district administration, Manipur Police and IRB authorities had not issued any official statement on the alleged firing. The situation in Chassad remains tense but under control, with security tightened in and around the village to prevent any further escalation.
