With commander Korounganba Khuman wanted in NIA cases, Arambai Tenggol’s street power defies New Delhi’s peace efforts. June’s four days of chaos in Imphal exposed the political shield around the militia, raising serious questions about accountability.
BY Navin Upadhyay
September 7, 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to visit Manipur on September 13, 2025 — his first tour to the state since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023. This visit carries symbolic weight, being dubbed a “long overdue” attempt at restoring peace and normalcy in a state beset by violence and fragmented authority.
Amid meticulous preparations — a grand stage at Kangla Fort, tightened security and infrastructure sprucing — the optics are being carefully managed. But despite these peace overtures, one glaring question emerges: Can peace without justice stand firm?
And that poser inevitably leads to another: Should PM Modi indeed talk of peace in Manipur without action against Arambai Tenggol, the group linked to widespread anarchy and at the centre of several cases that security officials say cannot be ignored if the government is serious about restoring law and order? The impunity enjoyed by its self-styled Commander , Korounganba Khuman, despite serious NIA cases against him, makes that question stark and immediate.
Of course, there are many players on either side of the ethnic divide who were involved in the May 3, 2023, violence to varying degrees of culpability. But certain things stand as a persistent reminder of the injustice of the system. In at least a dozen cases of brutal crimes against Kuki-Zo tribals, the Manipur Police have not made a single arrest in two years. The same police force and central agencies lost no opportunity in nabbing every single Kuki-Zo suspect in cases of violence or killings. While no one would defend action against any criminal simply because he belonged to the victim’s side, it remains a fact that unless someone like Korounganba Khuman is arrested, no one will believe in Manipur’s justice system, and the Prime Minister’s sermon of peace would sound hollow.
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NIA Cases Against Korounganba Khuman
The NIA is investigating Khuman in at least two high-profile cases, which were transferred from Imphal to the NIA Special Court in Guwahati on November 26, 2024, due to prevailing security threats within Manipur. These cases, meticulously detailed in NIA filings, implicate Khuman in serious violations under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act, and Official Secrets Act.
Case No. RC-03/2024/NIA/IMP:
This case stems from an incident on November 1, 2023, at approximately 5:30 PM. Khuman allegedly led a large group of armed Arambai Tenggol members, dressed in camouflage, Manipur Police uniforms, and black shirts, to the Palace Compound in Imphal East. This assembly reportedly followed a provocative Facebook post by Khuman, translated as, “Please come all brave brothers, let us teach them a final lesson today.”
When confronted by Imphal East Police at the Palace Gate, the group allegedly fired upon security personnel, overpowered them, and proceeded toward Imphal West in multiple vehicles. The charges include armed rioting (IPC Sections 147, 148, 149), obstructing public servants (Section 186), disobeying public orders (Section 188), attempt to murder (Section 307), robbery (Section 379A), dacoity (Section 395), criminal conspiracy (Section 120B), intentional insult (Section 504), inciting public mischief (Section 505), criminal intimidation (Section 506), terrorist acts (UAPA Section 18), violation of the Official Secrets Act (Section 6(1)(a)), and unlawful possession of arms (Arms Act Section 25(1-B)).
One associate, Mutum Rajesh Singh (aged 25), was arrested on November 30, 2023, in connection with this case, while Khuman remains at large.
“REMOVE CENTRAL FORCES AND WE WILL FINISH KUKIS IN A WEEK”
-Korounganba, Arambai Tenggol Leader.
He further exerts that his militias has 46 thousand trained Arambai Tenggol across all sectors. He even claimed to easily obtain state armouries to attack the Kuki people. pic.twitter.com/SVgeyvWF2c— Alice Ngaipilhing (@haokip_alice) September 3, 2024
Case No. RC-04/2024/NIA/IMP:
This case details a subsequent incident on the same day, November 1, 2023, around 6:00 PM. Khuman allegedly led another armed group of Arambai Tenggol members to attack the 1st Manipur Rifles Battalion in Imphal. Armed and disguised in police and military attire, they reportedly entered through the northwestern gate, ransacked government offices, destroyed vehicles, and looted arms and ammunition. They fled only after security reinforcements, including civil police, Assam Rifles, and CRPF, arrived.
The charges in this case include armed rioting (IPC Sections 147, 148, 149), robbery (Section 379A), dacoity (Section 392), criminal conspiracy (Section 120B), terrorist acts (UAPA Sections 16, 18), unlawful possession of arms (Arms Act Sections 25(1), 25(1-A), 25(1-AB)), and violation of the Official Secrets Act (Section 6(1)(a)). Mutum Rajesh Singh was also arrested in connection with this case, with investigations against Khuman ongoing.
Local and national reporting has documented allegations that on November 1, 2023, cadres led by Khuman — some wearing police or camouflaged uniforms and reportedly armed — clashed with police at the Palace Compound and later moved against the 1st Manipur Rifles, where the FIRs allege ransacking and seizure of weapons. The NIA’s narrative, now public in court papers and news reports, forms the backbone of the most serious legal exposure facing the AT chief.
Allegations Beyond NIA Cases
Khuman faces further allegations that deepen the urgency for his arrest. He is accused of leading ethnic violence against Kuki-Zo settlements — burning homes, churches, and schools, and allegedly ordering killings, rape, and torture. For instance, a January 2024 incident in Moreh saw Arambai Tenggol members torch eight homes, two churches, and three schools under his command.
Reports also point to widespread extortion and intimidation under his leadership, targeting businesses, political actors, and civilians. In a notable act of political coercion on January 24, 2024, Khuman convened 37 Meitei MLAs and two MPs at Kangla Fort, coercing them into endorsing a six-point charter, an event during which three MLAs were assaulted, with one requiring hospitalization.
Political Patronage Sustaining Impunity
Khuman’s continued impunity has been largely sustained by powerful political allies who have either openly supported or silently enabled Arambai Tenggol’s activities. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba, the group’s founder and chairman, has consistently shown overt support. He not only attended the controversial Kangla Fort meeting where the militia dictated terms to elected officials but has even called the AT men “ as his sons.” who could raise arms anytime the need arose.
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Former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is also widely believed to have extended significant personal patronage to the militia. Multiple accounts suggest he frequently hosted meetings with its leaders at his residence and turned a blind eye to arms looting in Imphal. Although Biren Singh did not attend the Kangla Fort gathering, he later endorsed the militia’s controversial charter of demands. Even after the imposition of President’s Rule and Singh’s resignation in late 2024, concerns about continued legitimization of Arambai Tenggol persisted, especially following Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s February 2025 meeting with Khuman and another Arambai Tenggol leader, Robin Mangang.
This powerful political backing has allegedly shielded Khuman, allowing him to operate with apparent impunity even as the NIA actively investigates him for grave offenses.
What Happened in June — And Why It Matters
June’s flashpoint came when security agencies arrested a senior Arambai Tenggol functionary, Asem (Ashem) Kanan Singh — widely described in reports as the outfit’s “army chief” — and detained several associates. The arrest triggered widespread protests across Imphal valley districts: road blockades, burning of tyres, and other defiant public actions, curfew orders, and internet suspensions. In some places, the response escalated into clashes with security forces; police used tear gas and, in at least one report, detained people accused of firing at security personnel. The unrest lasted several days and prompted authorities to impose curfew orders in the valley.
It was only after Home Minister Amit Shah intervened directly — summoning Biren Singh and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sanajaoba Leishemba, the titular king of the state — and directing them to ask Arambai Tenggol to withdraw its protests that the violence on Imphal’s streets subsided. But this also established beyond doubt one key fact: that Biren Singh and Sanajaoba are the real patrons of Arambai Tenggol.
So — Can the Prime Minister Credibly Talk of Peace Without Arrests or a Crackdown?
Short answer: it is politically difficult to make the claim stick unless the state demonstrates the rule of law against armed non-state actors.
Facts matter here. Peace that is merely rhetorical — declarations, soothing speeches and reconciliation photo-ops — will ring hollow if groups accused in NIA FIRs of attacking security forces, looting arms, ransacking government premises and carrying out targeted killings continue to operate with several distinct, organised units and visible arsenals.
Mod i’s visit may signal New Delhi’s intent for reconciliation, but unless the state acts firmly against Arambai Tenggol’s impunity, any peace overture will risk sounding hollow in the eyes of the nation.
