The Joint Action Committee (JAC), formed against Wednesday’s killing of a 29-year-old Meitei man visiting his Kuki-Zo wife in Churachandpur district, staged a protest on Friday at Khunou-Kakching seeking fulfilment of its seven-point charter of demands, including the arrest of the wife.

The family members, who also participated in the protest held at Khunou in Meitei-majority Kakching district, have also not accepted the body of Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh, till late Friday evening.

The body has been kept at the JNIMS, a leading Imphal hospital, since Thursday night.

A statement issued by the Manipur home department on Friday said Rishikanta along with his wife, Chingnu Haokip, were abducted from their residence at Tuibong under Churachandpur police station and he was subsequently shot dead in the Natjang village area of Churachandpur “by some unknown armed miscreants” on
January 21.

The protesters, some with placards, sat in front of a banner with Rishikanta’s photo, condemning the killing, demanding justice and action against the killers. The deceased hailed from Khunou.

The JAC and family members had protested at Khunou even on Thursday after being informed about the killing and a viral video which purportedly showed the victim pleading to be spared before he was shot by unidentified assailants.

One of the family members told The Telegraph on Friday evening they have not accepted the body because their demands have not been met. “We are having a meeting on the next step,” he said.

The demands

The seven-point charter of demands, that was submitted to state governor A.K. Bhalla on Thursday, included the arrest of the victim’s wife, “disciplinary action” against the “concerned” district police chief and security forces deployed in the specific area for their failure to prevent the incident and the handing over the case to the NIA for “speedy delivery of justice”.

The JAC sought the arrest of the deceased’s wife, Chingnu Haokip, claiming she was “responsible” for the killing. Reports from Imphal said that she had informed the family about the death. The deceased, who was working in Nepal, had been living at his wife’s home since December 19.

Additionally, the JAC demanded the punishment for the abductors and killers; immediate intensive operations against Kuki militants operating from the hills and concrete measures from the state government to prevent a repeat.

The JAC, in its memorandum to the governor, had asserted that they will “continue their agitation” with the support of civil society organisations of strife-hit Manipur if their demands were not met “within 72 hours”.

Govt response

The protest was staged even after Manipur governor A.K. Bhalla assured a JAC delegation and family members that the case is being handed over to the National Investigation agency (NIA) for a thorough and impartial probe and security forces were carrying out an intensive combing operation to apprehend those responsible for the killing in Kuki-zo majority Churachandpur.

On Friday, the state home department, while sharing details of the incident, also announced an ex-gratia of ₹10 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.