Multiple attacks on Thadou leader's house State hands over case to NIA
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Imphal, Sep 22
The Manipur Government has asked the police to hand over the case of attack on the ancestral house of a key Thadou tribe leader and BJP spokesperson to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The State Government in a letter to the police chief said the case filed over the attack on the house of T Michael Lamjathang Haokip in Churachandpur district, where his elderly parents and some internally displaced people live, should be forwarded to the NIA as soon as possible.
"In view of the serious nature of the matter, DGP (Director General of Police), Manipur is kindly requested to submit the proposal for forwarding this case to the NIA at the earliest," the State Government said.
NDTV has seen a copy of the letter.
Mr Haokip's house was vandalised and set on fire in Kuki-dominated Chura-chandpur on August 31 in the third attack at his house since the Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence began in May 2023. The attack happened on a day the Kuki tribes held protests against Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who they said was responsible for the crisis, citing a leaked audio tape which the State Government had called "doctored".
Six days earlier, on August 25, over two dozen people, some of them armed, had vandalised Mr Haokip's house and also fired shots in the air.
In a first information report (FIR), Mr Haokip had named 15 people as "directly or indirectly" responsible for the attack on his property and family. He also named two people who allegedly asked members of a WhatsApp group to kill him. One of the two promised to give "village land" to anyone who kills the State BJP spokesperson.
Mr Haokip has said the attacks and threats came as a result of him raising awareness about his tribe, Thadou, being inaccurately referred to as a Kuki tribe amid the ethnic tension in Manipur.
Mr Haokip, the Thadou Students' Association (TSA-GHQ), of which he is a key leader, and the civil society group Thadou Community International (TCI) have sought to draw attention to the tribe's "inaccurate" reference by leaders and the media, and to spread awareness that "the Thadou tribe is distinct and any confusion with other tribes surmount to being racist, abusive, disrespectful, traumatising and it puts the Thadou tribe in poor light".
"... There's hope the perpetrators' intentions and masterminds will be exposed, and justice will be served to all the victims of the horrible crime and injustice, including Michael Lamjathang, his family and Peniel villagers," the TSA said in a statement on Friday, welcoming the decision of the Manipur Government to hand over the investigation to the NIA.
NDTV
The Manipur Government has asked the police to hand over the case of attack on the ancestral house of a key Thadou tribe leader and BJP spokesperson to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The State Government in a letter to the police chief said the case filed over the attack on the house of T Michael Lamjathang Haokip in Churachandpur district, where his elderly parents and some internally displaced people live, should be forwarded to the NIA as soon as possible.
"In view of the serious nature of the matter, DGP (Director General of Police), Manipur is kindly requested to submit the proposal for forwarding this case to the NIA at the earliest," the State Government said.
NDTV has seen a copy of the letter.
Mr Haokip's house was vandalised and set on fire in Kuki-dominated Chura-chandpur on August 31 in the third attack at his house since the Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence began in May 2023. The attack happened on a day the Kuki tribes held protests against Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who they said was responsible for the crisis, citing a leaked audio tape which the State Government had called "doctored".
Six days earlier, on August 25, over two dozen people, some of them armed, had vandalised Mr Haokip's house and also fired shots in the air.
In a first information report (FIR), Mr Haokip had named 15 people as "directly or indirectly" responsible for the attack on his property and family. He also named two people who allegedly asked members of a WhatsApp group to kill him. One of the two promised to give "village land" to anyone who kills the State BJP spokesperson.
Mr Haokip has said the attacks and threats came as a result of him raising awareness about his tribe, Thadou, being inaccurately referred to as a Kuki tribe amid the ethnic tension in Manipur.
Mr Haokip, the Thadou Students' Association (TSA-GHQ), of which he is a key leader, and the civil society group Thadou Community International (TCI) have sought to draw attention to the tribe's "inaccurate" reference by leaders and the media, and to spread awareness that "the Thadou tribe is distinct and any confusion with other tribes surmount to being racist, abusive, disrespectful, traumatising and it puts the Thadou tribe in poor light".
"... There's hope the perpetrators' intentions and masterminds will be exposed, and justice will be served to all the victims of the horrible crime and injustice, including Michael Lamjathang, his family and Peniel villagers," the TSA said in a statement on Friday, welcoming the decision of the Manipur Government to hand over the investigation to the NIA.
NDTV