Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh today said the families of six Nagas who were allegedly abducted and later found murdered had personally narrated the incident to him and a team of Naga MLAs, saying their accounts had provided important leads to the investigation being conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Responding to questions during Question Hour on the second day of the eighth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, Khemchand said he, along with MLA Awangbou and other Naga MLAs, had met the families of the victims.
He said the families spoke about the incident around 15 days after the killings, recalling that they narrated their accounts while in tears. According to the Chief Minister, the families had not previously shared the details with the Naga MLAs who accompanied him and had apparently spoken about the incident to him for the first time during the meeting.
Khemchand said the testimonies of the victim families had assisted the NIA investigation.
Manipur violence toll hits 306, 49 still missing: HM
At least 306 people have been killed and 49 remain missing in the ethnic violence that has gripped Manipur since May 2023, Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam told the state assembly session responding to a question from BJP MLA Sapam Ranjan Singh during question hour today.
He said that the prolonged violence has also triggered massive displacement, disrupted normal life and brought sweeping political changes in the state.
The Chief Minister was responding to a supplementary question from Congress MLA K. Ranjit, who questioned the government’s handling of cases handed over to the NIA and remarked that, if the NIA was expected to function in such a manner, the government might as well hand over its responsibilities to the agency.
Khemchand, who is also the Leader of the House, termed the remark unfortunate and said the NIA and the state government had different roles and responsibilities.
He said the government had been urging the NIA to expedite the investigations and that the agency was proceeding with the probes.
The Chief Minister also cautioned against treating public allegations as evidence. Referring to allegations surrounding the chief of Lailon Vaiphei village, he said NIA records showed that the village chief had been in Guwahati for medical treatment seven days before the incident.
Earlier, Congress MLA K. Ranjit sought details on a series of crimes committed during the ongoing Manipur crisis and expressed concern over what he described as government inaction in cases handed over to the NIA.
Replying to the question, Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said the NIA was India’s premier investigative agency and that the government had confidence in its investigation.
On the killing of the six Nagas, the Home Minister said four persons had been arrested and that, following their interrogation, the NIA was proceeding with the arrest of four more suspects.
He said the government was making every effort to ensure justice for the victims.
Ranjit also referred to an earlier statement by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho that he and other MLAs had submitted a representation to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking the arrest of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, citing an allegation that her husband, identified as the chairman of KNF-P, was involved in the matter.
Responding to the allegation, Govindas said the NIA was investigating the case and assured the House that anyone found to be involved would not be spared.