The Union ministry of electronics and information technology has ordered the blocking of the viral video showing the killing of a Meitei man in Manipur’s Kuki-Zo majority Churachandpur district on January 21.
The move was revealed in a January 22 order passed by Manipur High Court in response to a plea from the state government, which had sought urgent directions to block the video, citing fears that its circulation could disturb public order.
The victim, 29-year-old Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh, had travelled to Tuibong in Churachandpur to visit his wife, a member of the Kuki-Zo community. The couple was allegedly abducted by unidentified armed men, who reportedly pushed the woman out of the vehicle before shooting Rishikanta.
Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma, in his order, cited the submission of the deputy solicitor-general, who informed the court of an email from the ministry confirming the video had been blocked.
“The ministry has issued the order dated 22.1.2026 for blocking of the content as received from the nodal officer, ministry of home affairs (MHA), government of India,” the court noted, quoting the deputy solicitor-general.
The order was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with the 2009 IT Rules, which allow the government to direct the blocking of content in the interest of public order.
“As per MHA, the URLs are from social media platforms which have come to notice as disseminating videos of the brutal killing of a man in Manipur, with the potential to disturb public order,” the court said.
The case has been listed for further hearing on February 18, with the electronics and information technology ministry and the ministry of communications asked to submit updated information on the progress of the blocking order.
The court also allowed the state home department to serve notices through the electronics and information technology ministry to platforms including Meta, YouTube, Google and WhatsApp, directing them to remove the video.
The killing has reignited tensions in the strife-hit state. Protests led by the joint action committee against the killing entered their third day on Saturday in Khunou, a Meitei-majority area in Kakching district. Protesters are
demanding fulfilment of a seven-point charter, including the arrest of the victim’s wife and action against security personnel.
Rishikanta’s family has refused to accept his body, which remains at JNIMS hospital in Imphal.