BY Navin Upadhyay
January 22, 2026: Medical records from government hospitals in Manipur and Nagaland conclusively show that Nengtinlhing Haokip, a Kuki-Zo woman who survived abduction and gang rape during the Manipur ethnic violence of May 2023 and died on January 10, 2026, was treated repeatedly for injuries arising from sexual assault and physical violence—directly contradicting claims circulated on social media that she died due to a drug overdose.
Copies of four medical documents accessed by this publication—including emergency case sheets, outpatient and inpatient records, and a discharge summary—contain no reference whatsoever to substance abuse, intoxication, or overdose. Instead, they consistently document alleged assault and rape, along with physical injuries, infections, and trauma requiring prolonged medical care.
Assault and Rape Recorded in Government Hospital Documents
One of the most significant documents is a discharge slip issued by the Government of Nagaland’s Naga Hospital Authority, Kohima, dated May 2023. The record identifies the patient as Nengtinlhing, an 18-year-old female from Kangpokpi district, Manipur, and explicitly lists the diagnosis as “Alleged assault & rape.” She was admitted on May 22, 2023, and discharged on May 24, 2023, following inpatient treatment.
Another medical record from RKS District Hospital, Kangpokpi (Emergency Department) documents that she was brought in following an “alleged assault at Ngariyan”, noting visible injuries including bleeding from the ear, reduced consciousness, and multiple reactive marks over the face and back. The record indicates emergency treatment and referral, reflecting the severity of her condition.
A separate outpatient department (OPD) case sheet from RKS District Hospital, Kangpokpi, records continued treatment following the assault. The notes refer to pain, throat and eye-related complaints, and follow-up care, with no mention of narcotics, intoxication, or withdrawal symptoms.
A fourth handwritten medical prescription lists medications commonly used for pain management, infection control, gastric protection, and trauma-related care, including antibiotics and supportive drugs. There is no indication of treatment for overdose, poisoning, or substance dependency.
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No Evidence of Drug Overdose in Any Medical Record
Across all four documents:
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No doctor records drug use
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No toxicology or overdose diagnosis is mentioned
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No treatment protocol for poisoning or substance abuse appears
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No sedative or de-addiction intervention is noted
Medical experts consulted informally said that in genuine overdose cases, hospital records invariably mention terms such as poisoning, intoxication, suspected substance use, altered sensorium due to drugs, or de-addiction referral. None of these appear in the documents related to Nengtinlhing Haokip.
A Pattern of Trauma and Prolonged Suffering
The records instead point to a pattern of severe physical and sexual trauma, followed by prolonged medical complications. Civil society groups and the victim’s family have stated that she suffered for over two years from chronic infections, reproductive injuries, and psychological trauma after the assault in May 2023.
Her death on January 10, 2026, has been described by Kuki organisations as the direct consequence of conflict-related sexual violence compounded by prolonged denial of justice, noting that despite the registration of cases and transfer of investigation to the CBI, no trial had concluded and no closure was delivered during her lifetime.
Misinformation Draws Sharp Condemnation
Human rights groups and Kuki-Zo organisations have condemned attempts on social media—particularly by some Meitei users—to portray her death as resulting from drug abuse, calling it a deliberate act of victim-shaming and erasure.
“The medical records speak for themselves,” a women’s rights activist said. “Calling a rape survivor a drug addict after her death is not only false—it is a second assault.”
Official Records Remain the Final Word
While authorities are yet to release a final medical cause-of-death statement publicly, the available government hospital records leave little room for ambiguity about the nature of her injuries and treatment.
What is documented, in black and white, is sexual assault—not substance abuse.
As demands grow for accountability and justice, the medical evidence stands as a stark rebuttal to online misinformation and a reminder of the human cost of Manipur’s unresolved ethnic violence.
