Three villagers were shot dead by suspected Kuki militants while collecting firewood near the Imphal East–Kangpokpi boundary on May 29, 2024. The bodies were later placed outside Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s bungalow in Imphal, prompting a tear‑gas raid.
The victims, Arubam Ronil, 35; Lairenlakpam Inaobi, 44; and Kshetrimayum Sushil, 32, were identified by local MLA Thokchom Lokeshor Singh, who said the attack came from a Kuki militant group active in the area for weeks. The incident follows months of escalating tensions between Meitei and Kuki communities after the 2023 ethnic violence.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh visited the injured at Raj Medicity Hospital and called for calm, while the Assam Rifles reassured the fire‑wood collectors that they would receive protection. Residents in the hills fear that the killings could spark a wider conflict; a community meeting in Kangpokpi last night saw men clutching rifles and chanting slogans.
Police deployed tear gas and lathi‑charge to disperse protesters who had marched to the CM’s bungalow with the bodies, and the site has been sanitized. The state government has ordered a probe and announced that an additional 5,000 troops will be stationed along the Imphal East–Kangpokpi border by Monday.
The violence has paralyzed commerce in Imphal, with markets closed and buses halted. The governor has requested the central government to send a special security brigade to the region.