New Delhi: Officials stated on Wednesday that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to investigate the killing of three church leaders in Manipur last month.
On May 13, suspected militants shot dead three church leaders and injured four others in the violence-hit state’s Kangpokpi district. The victims were members of the ‘Thadou Baptist Association’ (TBA) and were returning from Churachandpur after attending a religious gathering.
According to the NIA’s FIR dated June 8, armed miscreants ambushed two vehicles at ‘Zero Point’ (between the Kotzim and Kotlern areas) while they were traveling from Churachandpur to Kangpokpi.
The FIR states that three individuals from the Kuki community died on the spot, and four others traveling in the vehicles sustained gunshot injuries.
The Manipur Police had registered a case regarding the incident on the very day it occurred.
The NIA has registered the case and initiated an investigation following recent directives from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
In its directive to the counter-terrorism agency, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs stated, “This case pertains to an attack carried out by armed miscreants with the intent to cause harm to the lives and property of civilians and to create fear and panic in society. Given the gravity of the crime, its national implications, and the need to uncover a larger conspiracy, the investigation should be conducted by the National Investigation Agency.”
Since May 2023, violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur has resulted in at least 260 deaths and the displacement of thousands of people.
