Families refuse bodies of slain NSCN cadres; TNL issues 12-hour ultimatum

Tension continued to mount in Manipur’s Ukhrul district as families of four slain NSCN (I-M) Eastern Flank cadres refused to accept their bodies, demanding clarity and justice over the circumstances surrounding the killings.
Reports said the bodies, brought to the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) office at Ukhrul headquarters on Sunday, remained unclaimed as families sought a full and transparent explanation into the incident.
The four cadres- ‘maj.’ Sochipem Phungshok, ‘sgt. maj’ Zairay Vasah, ‘sgt.’ Bahnle Ahlahpya, and ‘sgt. Thansomi Washi- were allegedly killed in an ambush by cadres of the same group at Hongbei village under Kasom Khullen police station in Kamjong district on March 28 night.
Amid growing anger, the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) and its frontal organisations reportedly issued a 12-hour ultimatum demanding that those responsible for the killings be handed over.
Some of the family members questioned how a cadre deployed for Naga cause was killed by his own organisation.
Meanwhile, NSCN (I-M) stated that an investigation was underway to ascertain the facts and circumstances leading to the incident. It assured that those responsible would be penalised as per the Naga Army Rules and Regulations (NARR).
Appealing for calm, Manipur chief minister Y Khemchand Singh urged the Tangkhul Naga community in Ukhrul to help restore peace and maintain law and order.
“The Ukhrul district has witnessed violence on Sunday, and the situation remains tense,” a statement from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said.
Expressing sorrow over the incident, Khemchand Singh emphasised that violence cannot provide solutions and urged all groups to refrain from further escalation. He assured that the government is taking the matter seriously and that the law will take its course.
On Sunday, a delegation of civil society organisations (CSOs) from Ukhrul district, accompanied by state Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas Singh, met the chief minister at the Secretariat to discuss the prevailing situation.