Naga body sets 48-hour deadline to recover missing head of slain villager

IMPHAL, OCT 12 (NPN): The Joint Tribes Council Manipur (JTCM), an apex body representing the Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme communities, has set a 48-hour deadline for the recovery of the missing head of a Naga villager allegedly killed by suspected Kuki militants in Kangpokpi district on October 10.
The committee also prevented hospital authorities from conducting post-mortem examinations on the mortal remains of two victims at the morgue of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal on Monday, demanding that the missing head be recovered and returned to the bereaved family before the examinations are conducted.
The victims, identified as Ajinpou Ringkangmai (52) and Dibambou Ringkangmai (48), were brought to the JNIMS morgue around midnight on Sunday. While Ajinpou’s head is missing, Dibambou’s head was reported to be severely deformed. The bodies of the other two victims had already been handed over to their respective families after the completion of official procedures on Sunday.
A large number of people, mostly from Naga communities, gathered at the hospital morgue on Monday to express their condolences and solidarity with the bereaved families.
JTCM leaders told reporters that the committee had served a 48-hour ultimatum to the Government of India and the Manipur government, demanding the recovery and return of Ajinpou’s missing head and action against those responsible for the killings and alleged mutilation of the victim’s body. They said post-mortem examinations on both bodies would not be allowed until the missing head was recovered and handed over to the family to enable a dignified burial. Describing the incident as a grave crime against humanity, the committee urged the Centre and the state government to ensure justice for the victims.
It warned that stringent measures would follow if its demands were not met within the stipulated 48 hours. The incident occurred on October 10, when suspected Kuki militants allegedly launched an armed assault on the Naga-inhabited villages of Makui Asang and Tapon along the Imphal–Tamenglong (IT) Road in Kangpokpi district. The attackers reportedly used bombs and sophisticated weapons, leaving four people dead.
A video subsequently circulated on social media allegedly showed the beheading of Ajinpou Ringkangmai, son of Namhothiubou Ringkangmai, and the removal of his severed head by the attackers. The footage purportedly showed the head being placed at a bunker attributed to Kuki militants.
In a statement issued on October 11, the Makui Village Authority demanded the immediate and unconditional return of the missing head. It alleged that Ajinpou’s head had been severed and treated as a trophy of war. The village authority further alleged that the severed head was placed atop a stolen church battery, used as a shooting target and riddled with bullets, describing the act as an extreme form of brutality.
The demands for the recovery of the missing head and accountability for the killings have intensified calls for government intervention, as the victims’ families and community representatives seek justice and a dignified burial.