The Death of Nengtinglhing Haokip: A Damning Verdict on CBI Apathy

Rights groups and community leaders say the lack of arrests by the CBI in Kuki-Zo sexual violence cases reflects a wider culture of impunity in Manipur’s conflict-hit regions.

BY PC Bureau

January 18, 2026 —The death of 20-year-old Nengtinglhing Haokip on January 10, 2026, has reignited outrage over the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) handling of ethnic violence cases in Manipur. A Kuki-Zo woman who was brutally gang-raped during the height of the 2023 ethnic clashes, Haokip succumbed after years of severe physical and psychological trauma—without a single arrest being made in her case.

Her death has become emblematic of what human rights groups, lawyers, and civil society activists describe as a wider pattern of delay, selective enforcement, and institutional indifference toward Kuki-Zo victims of the Manipur violence.

The Ordeal of Nengtinglhing Haokip

Haokip’s nightmare began on May 15, 2023, amid escalating ethnic tensions between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. Employed at a beauty parlour in Imphal, she was allegedly abducted near an ATM in New Checkon by members of the Meira Paibis, a Meitei women’s vigilante group, and later handed over to the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol.

She was gang-raped in the Langol area and sustained grievous injuries, requiring multiple surgeries and prolonged treatment, including care at Apollo Hospital in Guwahati. Abandoned in Bishnupur district, she was rescued in critical condition. Though she survived the immediate assault, the injuries and trauma left her with chronic breathing problems, insomnia, recurring nightmares, and severe psychological deterioration.

A Zero FIR was registered with the Manipur Police in July 2023, and the case was transferred to the CBI on July 22, 2023, as part of a batch of 27 FIRs handed over following Supreme Court intervention. More than two and a half years later, no arrests have been made, no charges framed, and no meaningful progress publicly reported.

Haokip’s family received monetary compensation, but her mother, Lhingnei Haokip, repeatedly described how her once lively daughter became withdrawn, fearful, and broken. Her death from a prolonged illness linked to her injuries underscores the human cost of investigative inertia—trauma that festered without closure or accountability.

📍Manipur : Candlelight Vigil in loving tribute to Nengtinlhing Haokip who was failed by humanity. Handed over by Meira Paibis to Arambai Tenggol in May 2023, she survived rape & severe trauma, but lost her battle on 10 Jan 26. Rest in Eternal Peace🕊️🕊️#ManipurViolence #KukiZo pic.twitter.com/6niZJuMmRW

— Aries Haoneo Kuki (@AriesHaoneoKuki) January 17, 2026

Manipur’s Ethnic Violence: A Climate of Impunity

Critics contend that the CBI’s handling of Manipur’s ethnic violence cases reveals a troubling indifference toward Kuki-Zo victims, compounded by political sensitivities and alleged bias within state institutions. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and UN experts have repeatedly warned that impunity persists, with vigilante networks implicated in the violence remaining largely intact.

In the case of Nengtinglhing Haokip, despite public allegations involving identifiable groups, no arrests have been made. Social media has become a space for collective grief and mounting anger, with many questioning whether investigative agencies are unwilling—or unable—to act against influential Meitei outfits.

Benjamin Mate, chairman of the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), voiced this frustration in a post on X:

“When an animal is harmed, justice is demanded. Yet innocent Kuki-Zo women, children, and men were brutally raped, beaten, and burned alive in Manipur—with no justice, no arrests, and no accountability. More than two years of ethnic cleansing have passed, and the perpetrators roam free. Have the Government, the judiciary, and the people of India failed the minority tribal Christian Kuki-Zo community? Their lives mattered. Justice delayed is justice denied.”

READ: Tears, Candles, and Memory: Manipur Hills Mourn Kuki-Zo Assault Victim

KSO Delhi & NCR Demands Justice for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) Delhi & NCR has also issued a press statement demanding accountability in cases of conflict-related sexual violence that resulted in death. The organisation called on authorities to take five immediate steps:

1. Officially recognise the death as a consequence of conflict-related sexual violence.
2. Conduct a time-bound, independent, and impartial investigation.
3. Arrest and prosecute all perpetrators without delay.
4. Fix accountability on officials who failed to act despite prior knowledge of the crime.
5. Ensure justice, protection, and comprehensive support for all Kuki survivors of sexual violence.

The organisation said continued violence and systemic failures have denied justice to victims and reiterated the Kuki community’s demand for a separate administration as a pathway to lasting peace and security. The statement also conveyed condolences to the bereaved family and expressed solidarity with all survivors seeking justice and dignity.

Lawyers associated with several FIRs related to crimes against women say progress has been minimal even a year after Supreme Court oversight. Allegations of police complicity—such as in the parading case where officers allegedly facilitated mob violence—have further deepened mistrust.

The Human Cost of Inaction

For Haokip’s family and community, justice delayed became justice denied. Activists argue that timely accountability could have offered psychological closure and possibly mitigated the deterioration of her health.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) described Haokip as a “symbol of brutal and unresolved atrocities” and held a candlelight vigil in Churachandpur on January 17, demanding immediate arrests. Broader calls from national and international bodies warn that shielding perpetrators only entrenches violence.

As Manipur continues to reel from instability, Haokip’s death stands as a grim reminder that institutional silence does not merely erode trust—it costs lives.

Until perpetrators are held accountable, critics say, cases like hers will continue to expose deep fractures in India’s justice system, where delay and apathy have become as lethal as violence itself.

Status of CBI Investigations in Manipur Ethnic Violence Cases

Overall Assessment: While the CBI has advanced one high-profile case to trial, most investigations remain slow, with no significant breakthroughs in many sexual violence cases since 2023. Human rights groups criticize the pace, attributing it to biases and resource issues. The ethnic conflict has claimed over 200 lives, with ongoing calls for faster justice