45-year-old Chiru man abducted and killed in Manipur

Imphal: In a shocking incident, a 45-year-old daily wage earner from the Chiru (Naga) community, the smallest indigenous tribe in Manipur, was abducted and killed by unknown assailants.

The tragic news came to light when Jatakpon Mechek, the wife of the deceased, Merangir Mechek, informed the media at the mortuary of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal on Tuesday (July 16).

Merangir Mechek, a resident of Kangchup village, which lies between the districts of Kangpokpi (predominantly Kuki-inhabited) and Imphal West (predominantly Meitei-populated), left his home on Monday (July 15) morning at around 8:30 am to earn his daily bread.

However, by 8:30 pm, he was returned to his village with severe injuries, delivered by unknown individuals to the womenfolk of the same village, according to his wife.

Despite being rushed to RIMS hospital at Imphal in Manipur, Merangir succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Tuesday (July 15).

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His wife has called on authorities to ensure justice is served for this crime. Merangir leaves behind a wife and four children.

In response to the brutal killing, Kangchup Chiru village chairman Alen Thanga and Meira Paibi leader Anei Jachi condemned the act and warned of intense agitation until justice is served.

A Joint Action Committee formed in the wake of the murder has announced that they will not claim Merangir's body until the perpetrators are arrested.

The Chiru community, one of the earliest inhabitants of Manipur and Assam, has a recorded presence in Manipur since the 12th century.

Previously considered part of the “Old Kuki” group of tribes, they now identify as a Naga tribe.

The Chiru language, also known as Chiru (Naga), is spoken in three districts of Manipur: Senapati, Noney and Cachar, as well as in the Cachar district of Assam.