Thiyam Boycha Singh alias Balin, a 28-year-old alleged PLA cadre carrying a ₹4 lakh NIA bounty, was arrested in Thoubal in a joint operation by Assam Rifles and Manipur Police.
BY PC Bureau
August 23, 2026: Security forces in Manipur have arrested a key accused in the 2021 ambush that killed Assam Rifles Colonel Viplav Tripathi, his wife, their young son and four other personnel.
Thiyam Boycha Singh, alias Balin, a 28-year-old self-styled captain of the banned People’s Liberation Army (PLA), was arrested late Saturday, August 22, in an intelligence-driven joint operation by Assam Rifles and Manipur Police.
Singh was tracked down in Lilong Ushoipokpi in Thoubal district and later handed over to Lilong Police Station. He was carrying a ₹4 lakh NIA bounty and is listed as accused number three in the agency’s case relating to the November 13, 2021, attack.
Investigators allege that Singh was part of the militant team behind the ambush on Colonel Tripathi, then Commanding Officer of 46 Assam Rifles. His interrogation has reportedly revealed deeper links to the PLA, including training at a militant camp in Myanmar, handling and movement of arms and other war-like material, and contacts with other insurgent groups.
The Army’s Eastern Command described Singh as a “key accused” in the Churachandpur ambush, saying the arrest underlines the security forces’ resolve to hunt down insurgent networks.
On 22.08.2026, based on a credible intelligence, joint team of Thoubal CDO and 11 AR launched a search ops in general area Lilong Ushoipoki during which a s/s Captain, Thiyam Boycha Singh alias Balin (28) a/p Bishnupur Ward No. 8 was arrested.
Through further questioning it was… pic.twitter.com/ZdJhxvLWTw— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) August 23, 2026
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The Ambush That Shocked Assam Rifles
On November 13, 2021, Colonel Tripathi was travelling with his wife Anuja and their young son from the Behiang company post towards the battalion headquarters when militants struck near S Sehken village in Churachandpur district, close to the Myanmar border.
The attackers first detonated an IED, bringing the convoy to a halt, before unleashing automatic gunfire.
Colonel Tripathi, his wife and their son were killed in the attack, along with four Assam Rifles personnel — Riflemen Suman Swargiary, Khatnei Konyak, R.P. Meena and Shyamal Das. Several others were wounded.
The People’s Liberation Army and the Manipur Naga People’s Front later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying their cadres had not known that the officer’s family was travelling with the convoy.
The NIA subsequently took over the investigation under the relevant provisions of the IPC, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act.
In early 2022, the agency announced rewards ranging from ₹4 lakh to ₹8 lakh for 10 accused members of the PLA and MNPF. Singh was among those wanted.
Another major accused, Sagolshem Sanatomba Singh, was arrested in Thoubal in May 2025.
Arrest Comes Amid Wider Crackdown
Singh’s capture was part of a broader security operation across Thoubal, Kakching, Tengnoupal, Imphal East and Imphal West.
Eight alleged militants linked to banned outfits, including the PLA/RPF, PREPAK, KYKL and KCP, were arrested during the coordinated operations, officials said. Arms, ammunition, cash, documents and material allegedly linked to extortion and militant activities were also recovered.
Singh’s alleged training and operational links in Myanmar could provide investigators with fresh leads into the militant network behind the 2021 attack and its cross-border support structure.
Five years after one of the Northeast’s most shocking attacks on security forces, the arrest marks another step in the investigation as agencies continue to pursue those still accused of involvement in the deadly ambush.
