NEW DELHI: Two tribal organisations in Manipur have raised strong objections to the recent arrest of two Hmar community members by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Assam Police in connection with the brutal killing of six Meitei people in Jiribam district last year.The Hmar Women Association, based in Churachandpur, and the Kuki Zo Council on Saturday described the arrests as “arbitrary and unjustified,” alleging that the accused had no criminal background and were innocent civilians.The NIA had on Thursday arrested Lalrosang Hmar alias Rosang from Aizawl, Mizoram. He hails from Moinathol village and Dilkhosh Grant area in Cachar district of Assam. His arrest came shortly after that of Thanglienlal Hmar, also from the same village, who was apprehended by a joint team of the NIA and Assam Police, also from Aizawl.According to the agency, both men were active conspirators in the November 11, 2023 massacre of three women and three children from the Meitei community in the Borobekra area of Jiribam. The victims were abducted and later found dead, with their bullet-riddled bodies recovered on different days from the Barak River, along the Manipur-Assam border.The NIA, in a statement, said it had seized a mobile phone and SIM card from Lalrosang and was examining them as part of its ongoing investigation.However, the Hmar Women Association said, “They are fathers, daily wage earners and individuals with no recorded history of criminal activities. We are deeply concerned with the arbitrary arrest of Thanglienlal Hmar and Lalrosang Hmar.” It also accused the NIA of “employing discriminatory tactics” and demanded their immediate release.The Kuki Zo Council echoed similar sentiments, stating that Thanglienlal Hmar was “an innocent boatman” and questioned the fairness of the investigation. “His arrest raises serious concerns about due process,” it said.The killings had taken place amid heightened ethnic tension in the region. On the day of the abductions, 10 suspected militants were gunned down by security forces in an encounter. Their bodies were later shifted to Assam for post-mortem examination. The incident further strained relations between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, and led the Assam government to increase security along the inter-state border.The case was handed over to the NIA by the Union Home Ministry in December last year. Since then, several suspects have been identified and arrests made as the central agency continues to probe the politically and communally sensitive case.
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