NIA arrests second accused in Manipur's Jiribam killings; tribal groups cry foul

Imphal, August 2: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another key accused involved in the brutal killing of three women and as many children in Manipur's Jiribam in 2024.

The NIA arrested key accused Lalrosang Hmar alias Rosang of Moinathol village and Dilkhosh Grant of Cachar, Assam, from Aizawl, Mizoram, on Thursday.

"The arrest came close on the heels of the arrest of another accused, Thanglienlal Hmar, by a joint team of NIA and Assam Police, also from Aizawl," a statement issued by the probe agency, on Friday evening, said.

Like Thanglienlal, Lalrosang was also an active conspirator in the crime, the NIA said.

The agency has seized a mobile phone along with a SIM card from him, and is examining the same as part of its continuing investigation into the case, the statement said.

Three women and three children were abducted and brutally murdered in the Borebekra area of Jiribam district on November 11 last year, it said.

Meanwhile, two prominent tribal organisations in Manipur have accused the NIA of carrying out “arbitrary arrests” in connection with the abduction and killing of six Meiteis.

The Hmar Women Association, based in Churachandpur district, issued a statement expressing “deep concern” over the arrests of Thanglienlal Hmar and Lalrosang Hmar by the NIA and Assam Police.

“They are fathers, daily wage earners, and individuals with no recorded history of criminal activity,” the statement read.

Condemning the arrests, the association accused the NIA of employing "discriminatory tactics to silence the community” and demanded the immediate release of both individuals.

In a separate statement, the Kuki Zo Council also defended Thanglienlal, describing him as an “innocent boatman” with no links to the crime.

“His arrest appears to be arbitrary and unjustified, raising serious concerns about due process and fairness in the investigative approach,” the council said.

Earlier, the Manipur High Court, which is monitoring the case closely, had expressed concern over the delay in filing the chargesheet in the case.

In a recent hearing, the court granted the NIA a final one-month extension to submit a detailed report under Section 173 of CrPC and the corresponding provision of the BNSS Act, 2023.

With inputs from PTI