Guwahati: The body of a 71-year-old Kuki farmer, Hemjang Haokip, was recovered on Sunday from a remote forest area in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district with his hands tied, hours after suspected Naga militants allegedly abducted him from his field hut before setting it on fire on Saturday.According to the local village council, Haokip was likely tortured and beaten to death as his body bore injury marks, suggesting that he had been brutally assaulted, sources said.While security forces managed to recover his body, with the aid of sniffer dogs, after Haokip’s clothes were found near his field hut, it was the villagers who brought it out of the forest area in the presence of security personnel.The Kuki Youth Organisation’s Leimakhong block condemned the killing, describing it as a “pre-planned murder”.Alleging involvement of NSCN-IM and Tangkhul elements in Haokip’s killing, the youth organization, in a statement, said, “The circumstances and condition in which he was found is horrifying and have sent shockwaves throughout the Kuki community. The involvement of NSCN-IM and Tangkhul elements in this incident has further intensified the anger and anguish of the community.”The youth body warned that the Kuki community would not remain silent. “We will mobilise every available community mechanism, pursue every avenue, strengthen our collective vigilance, and take every necessary step within our capacity,” it said.On Saturday, the Khunkho Kuki village authority had issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the state authorities and law-enforcement agencies, demanding Haokip’s safe return by Sunday and warning of widespread democratic protests, if he was not found.
