Imphal, March 15: The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) has withdrawn the 48-hour ultimatum it had issued earlier demanding the arrest of those responsible for the killing of two Kuki-Zo villagers in Kamjong district, after authorities assured that the case would be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a detailed probe.
The ultimatum, announced on March 12 by CoTU’s Sadar Hills Kangpokpi unit, had demanded immediate action against those behind the killings that sparked outrage across the Kuki-Zo community in the hill districts of Manipur.
In a statement issued on March 15, the organisation said the decision to withdraw the ultimatum followed consultations with various stakeholders, including a conglomerate of Kuki civil society organisations in Sadar Hills Kangpokpi. The move came after authorities assured that the case would be entrusted to the country’s premier investigative agency for an impartial inquiry.
The victims were identified as Thengin Baite of Thawai Kuki Village and Thangboimang Khongsai of Shankai Village. Their killings had triggered grief and anger within the Kuki-Zo community, leading to calls for swift justice and accountability.
CoTU said the investigation would serve as a “litmus test” for the NIA’s commitment to conducting a fair, professional and politically neutral probe.
“The investigation must be carried out with the highest standards of transparency and integrity to ensure justice for the victims and their families,” the organisation stated, adding that the outcome of the probe would play a crucial role in restoring public confidence in the rule of law.
Reaffirming its faith in constitutional mechanisms, CoTU said the Kuki-Zo community would continue to pursue justice through legal and democratic means to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the region.
The organisation also expressed deep anguish over the deaths of the two villagers and extended solidarity to their bereaved families. It further appealed to the public and civil society groups to refrain from spreading inflammatory or unverified information that could destabilise the fragile peace in the region.
