Manipur Kuki human rights organisation condemns arrest of Moreh IRB post attacker

PTI, May 19, 2025, Imphal/Churachandpur :  A prominent Kuki rights organisation of Manipur on Monday strongly condemned the arrest of the spokesperson of Kuki Inpi Tengnoupal, a civil society group, by the National Investigation Agency in Assam’s Silchar.

    

In a press statement, the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) termed the arrest "arbitrary and unlawful", calling it a "gross violation of his fundamental rights and personal liberty."

Thangminlar Mate was arrested by the NIA in connection with the 2024 attack on the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) post in Moreh area of Tengnoupal district in Manipur, where one policeman was killed and two others were injured, according to officials.

Mate alias Lenin Mate, a resident of Tengnoupal, was nabbed on Sunday, the NIA said, adding that his affiliation to any militant group is not clear yet.

The Silchar court has given NIA the transit remand custody of the accused, the first person to be arrested in the case, for production before the agency’s special court in Guwahati, a statement issued by the probe agency said.

In the statement, KOHUR asserted that his arrest "exemplifies a growing pattern of targeted coercion and criminalisation of legitimate Kuki civil society actors under the pretext of legal processes."

The organisation expressed serious concerns over what it described as the abuse of state power to intimidate, silence and delegitimise community representatives operating within a democratic and constitutional framework.

The rights body also questioned the alleged inaction of authorities against militant elements, particularly pointing to Arambai Tengol chief Kourounganba, who, KOHUR said, has been named in NIA investigations for serious offences but remains untouched.

Calling for Mate’s unconditional release, KOHUR demanded an independent and impartial review of all such detentions to ensure they comply with constitutional safeguards and international human rights obligations.