TSA seeks NIA probe into Kotlen-Kotzim ambush

The Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) while welcoming Mukesh Singh, IPS, as the new Director General of Police (DGP), Manipur has sought NIA probe to the May 13 ambush on Thadou Church leaders along the Kotlen-Kotzim Inter-Village Road, which resulted in the death of Rev. Dr. Vumthang Sitlhou and two other church leaders, besides injuries to several church workers.
In a statement the association stated that it had previously sought the removal of the former DGP and reforms in the policing system, describing the appointment of a new police chief as a necessary step towards accountability. While welcoming the leadership change, TSA said it expects visible improvements in policing and security.
TSA urged the new DGP to uphold professionalism, constitutional governance, the rule of law, inter-agency coordination and impartial policing. It called for the immediate transfer of the Kotlen-Kotzim ambush case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for an independent and time-bound investigation.
The association also demanded adequate security for survivors, witnesses and church leaders, intensified intelligence-based operations to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack, and transparent, unbiased law enforcement
The statement reiterated concerns over the security situation affecting the Thadou community.