Kuki Inpi Manipur argued that any attempt to shield Arambai Tenggol members from arrest would reinforce a culture of impunity and further erode confidence in the rule of law in Manipur.
BY PC Bureau
June 24, 2026 — The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body representing the Kuki tribes, has strongly condemned Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam over his reported remarks suggesting that efforts were being made to prevent further arrests and crackdowns on members of Arambai Tenggol (AT).
In a press statement issued, KIM described the minister’s comments as a “blatant proposal to pardon and protect a blood-stained terror group” allegedly responsible for grave atrocities against the Kuki-Zo community during the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur.
The organisation rejected any characterization of Arambai Tenggol as a civil society group, instead describing it as an armed Meitei organisation that it alleges has been involved in targeted ethnic violence, including killings, sexual violence, torture, and the destruction of Kuki-Zo settlements.
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🚨📢 Here is a video in which the Home Minister of Manipur openly backs Meitei armed groups and promises to pardon all their crimes. @KonthoujamG, why don’t you also announce pardons for the Arambai Tenggols, whom you refer to as “my sons,” who paraded Kuki women naked and… https://t.co/tnCB7run1C pic.twitter.com/IwUNQ1I6RM
— Min (@minkukizo) June 23, 2026
Allegations Highlighted by KIM
The statement cited several cases that KIM attributes to Arambai Tenggol members and their associates.
According to KIM, Nengtinlhing Haokip (Lhingnu Haokip), an 18-year-old Kuki girl, was abducted near an ATM in Imphal in May 2023. The organisation alleges that she was assaulted, handed over to armed Arambai Tenggol members, taken to a hilltop in Langol, repeatedly gang-raped, beaten, and abandoned in a creek. KIM stated that she later succumbed to her injuries on January 10, 2026.
KIM further alleged that Olivia Chongloi (Lhingneithem Olivia Chongloi, 21) and Florence Hangshing (Nengpichong Florence Hangshing, 24), both residents of Khopibung village in Kangpokpi district, were abducted on May 4, 2023, while working at Gamma Car Wash in Imphal. The organisation claimed the two women were gang-raped and murdered by Arambai Tenggol members and associated Meitei mobs before their mutilated bodies were recovered.
The statement also referred to the case of Nehmang Kipgen, a hearing-impaired Kuki man from S. Phailengkot village, whom KIM alleges was abducted, mutilated, and burned alive in May 2023 by Arambai Tenggol members acting in concert with state forces.
Another case highlighted was that of Zosangkim Hmar from Zairawn village in Jiribam district. KIM alleged that she was raped, tortured, and burned alive in November 2024. According to the organisation, her charred remains were later recovered bearing extensive burn injuries and other signs of abuse.
KIM also cited the deaths of Kamlengsat Lunkim and Kamminlal Lupheng from Bongjang hamlet in Kangpokpi district. The organisation alleged that both men were subjected to extreme violence, including mutilation and execution-style attacks.
In addition, KIM accused Arambai Tenggol members of facilitating and participating in the widely reported incident involving the stripping, public humiliation, and sexual assault of Kuki-Zo women at B. Phainom village in Kangpokpi district on May 4, 2023.
Demand for Accountability
KIM described these incidents as part of what it termed a deliberate campaign of ethnic persecution against the Kuki-Zo people. The organisation argued that any attempt to shield Arambai Tenggol members from arrest or prosecution would amount to institutional protection for those accused of serious crimes.
According to the statement, such developments further reinforce the Kuki-Zo community’s demand for a separate administrative arrangement outside the jurisdiction of the present Manipur government, which KIM described as biased and incapable of ensuring justice and security for tribal communities.
KIM’s Key Demands
The organisation called for:
- Immediate withdrawal of the Home Minister’s statement;
- Arrest and prosecution of all individuals accused of involvement in atrocities against Kuki-Zo civilians;
- An end to what it described as a prevailing culture of impunity; and
- Equal application of the law irrespective of ethnicity or political affiliation.
KIM stated that it would “never accept any pardon or protection” for individuals accused of crimes against the Kuki-Zo community and reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing justice for victims and their families.
