A DAY after he was allegedly abducted from his field in Kangpokpi district of Manipur, a 71-year-old Kuki man was on Sunday found dead – with his hands tied behind his back – in a nearby forest, sources said.

The man was identified as Hemjang Haokip of Khunkho Kuki village near Leimakhong. He was reported missing after his field hut was set ablaze on Saturday.

Haokip’s farm trousers, shirt and sweater were recovered during a search on Sunday, following which security forces deployed sniffer dogs and intensified the operation to trace him. His body was subsequently found in a nearby forest.

Story continues below.
Subscribe to see fewer ads.

The circumstances surrounding Haokip’s death and the identity of those responsible were not immediately known.

According to initial reports, heavy rainfall on Saturday had kept many villagers away from their fields, and the incident came to light only in the evening. Haokip was known to frequently spend the night at his field hut.

After learning that the hut had been burnt and Haokip was missing, villagers launched a search that continued until dark but failed to locate him.

The Kuki Youth Organisation (KYO), Leimakhong block, had earlier demanded Haokip’s immediate and safe return and urged the authorities and security agencies to intensify the search and take action against those responsible. The Khunkho Kuki Village Authority had also condemned the abduction and issued a 24-hour ultimatum for Haokip’s safe and unconditional release, warning of widespread democratic protests if he was not released. The Committee on Tribal Unity, Sadar Hills, had separately appealed for Haokip’s safe release.

Story continues below this ad

Meanwhile, the Ariang (Khunkhu) Naga Village Authority, in a clarification issued on Sunday, expressed solidarity with Haokip’s family and said neither the village nor its residents had any involvement in his disappearance.

The Naga village authority appealed against unverified allegations and speculation, warning that such claims could create unnecessary distrust and tension between the two villages, which it said had maintained peaceful and cordial relations for decades.

The incident comes against the backdrop of renewed Kuki-Naga tensions in Manipur, particularly in parts of Kangpokpi district and neighbouring areas.