Three accused have been charged under the BNS, Arms Act and UA(P) Act for their alleged role in the abduction and killing of six members of a Meitei family, whose bodies were later recovered from the Barak River.
BY PC Bureau
January 30, 2026: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet in the horrific Jiribam killings case involving the abduction and murder of six Meitei civilians — three women and three children — allegedly by Kuki-Hmar militants in November 2024.
The chargesheet was submitted before the Special NIA Court-1, Manipur, on January 23, 2026, following which the court took cognisance of the case against three accused.
The accused have been identified as Thanglienlal Hmar alias Boya (40) and Lalrosang Hmar alias Rosang (24), both residents of Moinathol village in Dilkhosh Grant, Cachar district of Assam, and Khopuimoi Hmar alias Puia (33) of Keisel Punji in Borobekra, Jiribam district, Manipur. They are currently lodged in Temporary Jail, Jiribam, and were produced before the court via video conferencing.
The NIA has charged them under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Arms Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA(P) Act), along with the required prosecution sanction under the UA(P) Act.
After hearing arguments from the Special Public Prosecutor and defence counsel, and upon examining the case records, the court directed the NIA to furnish copies of the chargesheet and relevant documents to the accused on or before February 10, 2026.
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Brutal Crime
The case pertains to the November 11, 2024 abduction and murder of six members of a Meitei family from Jakuradhor Karong village in Jiribam district. The victims were identified as Yurembam Rani Devi (60), Telem Thoibi Devi (31), Laishram Heitonbi (25), Telem Thajamanbi (8), Laishram Chingkheinganba (2), and Laishram Langamba (8 months).
They were abducted by armed militants and later found dead in the Barak River near the Manipur–Assam border. The bodies were in a highly decomposed and mutilated state, bearing multiple injuries, with eyes reportedly gouged out.
The killings triggered widespread protests across the Imphal valley, during which demonstrators attacked the residences of several ministers and MLAs, demanding swift justice.
Probe and Arrests
Following directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the NIA took over the investigation after re-registering the FIR initially filed at Borobekra police station.
During the probe, Thanglienlal Hmar alias Boya, described as a key conspirator, was arrested on July 31, 2025, in a joint operation by the NIA and Assam Police. The two other accused were apprehended in subsequent operations.
The abduction occurred after a gunfight between armed militants and CRPF personnel near a relief camp in Borobekra, in which 11 militants were reportedly killed. Subsequent search operations led to the recovery of automatic assault rifles, RPGs, ammunition, explosives, and military gear.
The Manipur High Court had earlier pulled up the NIA over delays in filing progress reports in the case.
Since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023, over 260 people have been killed and more than 60,000 displaced. Following the imposition of President’s Rule on February 13, 2025, rehabilitation efforts have intensified, with the government setting a December 2025 deadline for the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
