Hemjang Haokip, a 71-year-old farmer from Khunkho Kuki village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, was found dead on October 4 after being reported missing a day earlier. India Today NE and Northeast Live reported that a joint team of police, central security personnel and residents recovered his body. The Indian Express independently reported the Sunday recovery.
His village authority alleged that armed men abducted him on October 3 and set fire to his field shelter near Leimakhong. Reports of the search said some of his clothes were found on Sunday; security forces then used sniffer dogs before recovering the body in a forested area. The precise circumstances, cause of death and identity of those responsible had not been officially established in the reports reviewed.
Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen condemned the killing on October 4 and asked the authorities to investigate thoroughly and act against those responsible in accordance with the law, Ukhrul Times reported. She also appealed for calm and restraint so the incident did not cause further violence or deepen tensions.
The Ariang (Khunkhu) Naga Village Authority separately expressed solidarity with Haokip’s family and denied involvement by its village or residents in his disappearance. It urged people to avoid unverified allegations that could damage relations between neighbouring communities. The discovery is a new development in the search for Haokip; allegations about the perpetrators remain unproven and cannot establish responsibility for a whole community.