IMPHAL, April 7: Manipur Police on Sunday apprehended three individuals allegedly involved in recent incidents of arson and vandalism in the Kazanga-Valpabung area under the Saikul sub-division of Kangpokpi district. The arrests were made in connection with an FIR filed by the chief of Tumuyon Khullen village at Kangpokpi Police Station on April 5.
According to the complaint, a group of 30-40 armed individuals, identified as Kuki volunteers from Valpabung village, allegedly set fire to several houses in Kazanga village, which belongs to the Maram Naga tribe, on April 3.
Following the investigation, police arrested three suspects on April 6. The accused were produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Kangpokpi, and have been remanded to five days of police custody. Authorities stated that efforts are ongoing to maintain peace and order in the area and urged the public to refrain from spreading or believing misinformation on social media.
Meanwhile, the Frontal Organisation of Senapati, comprising the Naga Peoples’ Organization (NPO), Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA), and Senapati District Women’s Association (SDWA), issued a strongly worded joint statement condemning what they described as “barbaric and treacherous actions” by Kuki volunteers from Valpabung village.
The organisations claimed that the assailants, armed with knives and guns, carried out acts of vandalism and arson in Kazanga, a revenue village of the Maram Naga tribe, on April 3, 2025. Furthermore, they condemned a separate attack allegedly carried out by Kuki militants disguised as civilians on April 5, 2025, targeting the residents of Konsakhul Naga Village and vandalising their belongings.
Highlighting the Naga community’s stance of neutrality in the long-standing ethnic conflict in the state, the statement accused the attackers of attempting to drag the Nagas into the crisis. It further alleged unlawful confiscation of indigenous Naga ancestral land by ‘refugees.’
“The people of Senapati stand united in full solidarity and unwavering support for our brethren whose rights and very existence are being threatened by these unlawful acts. We will not remain silent in the face of such violations and are prepared to face any consequences in defence of the survival and existence of our people and ancestral land,” the joint statement read. The organisations pledged not to remain silent in the face of such violations and declared their readiness to defend their people and ancestral land.
They demanded that the perpetrators issue an unconditional apology to the victims in accordance with the law. “Failure to do so will result in consequences for the wrongdoers, as we are determined to ensure justice,” the statement warned.
The Naga bodies also called on the authorities to take “immediate and decisive action to deliver justice to the victims.” They cautioned that if the authorities failed to act swiftly, the people of Senapati would be compelled to take matters into their own hands to secure justice and protect their communities.
