Manipur Clashes Follow Recovery of Two Missing Youths’ Bodies in Senapati

Protesters clashed with security forces in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district after the mutilated bodies of two missing youths were recovered in adjoining Senapati district. Police said the bodies of T. Chongloi, 21, and Paoginlal Hangsing, 20, were found on Sunday morning stuffed in gunny bags in a banana farm during a search operation. The two had gone missing from Taphou Kuki village on October 29. Joint teams of Manipur Police, CRPF and Assam Rifles had been searching along the boundary between the two districts.

Protests began on Sunday night in several parts of Kangpokpi. Agitators burned tires on roads and blocked stretches with logs and boulders. They threw stones at security forces. Police responded with tear gas shells and a baton charge. One protester suffered a head injury, reportedly from a tear gas shell; his condition was described as stable. A district official said tension remained high on Monday morning and additional forces had been deployed. Police later cleared some of the blocked roads.

Community groups and protesters alleged the youths had been abducted and killed by Naga militants. They refused to accept the bodies. Manipur Police posted that multiple search operations followed the disappearance and that the bodies were recovered during one such joint operation east of National Highway 2. Legal formalities were under way. Deputy chief ministers condemned the killings. Local organizations demanded arrests and an independent investigation.

Kangpokpi and Senapati lie in the hills of Manipur, an area that has seen repeated ethnic tensions since the outbreak of violence in the state in 2023. The recovery of the bodies and the immediate protests illustrate how quickly a single incident can reopen road blockades and confrontations with security forces. The presence of CRPF and Assam Rifles in the search teams reflects the ongoing central deployment in the state. No arrests have been announced in connection with the deaths.

The condition of the bodies and the manner of their concealment have fueled local accusations. Officials have not yet released a cause of death or identified suspects. The road blockades on Sunday night disrupted movement in the district; partial clearance on Monday has not ended the underlying tension. Further protests or demands for an outside investigation are likely as long as the circumstances of the deaths remain unexplained by state authorities.