TAMENGLONG/UKHRUL: Chunjanglung Panmei (57), a Village Guard from Pongringlong Part-I, Rongmei Naga Village, who had been reported missing following an armed attack in the Pongringlong area on Monday morning, has been found dead with apparent bullet wounds, according to a statement issued by the Pongringlong Youth Club (PYC).
The PYC on Monday stated that the 57-year-old went missing during an attack and firing incident at Pongringlong village allegedly involving armed Kuki groups. The youth club said that his body was subsequently recovered with apparent bullet injuries.
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“According to initial findings, his body was recovered with apparent bullet wounds. The circumstances surrounding his death are a matter of serious concern and require a thorough and impartial investigation by the competent authorities,” PYC statement said.
The youth club extended its condolences to the bereaved family and urged the public to refrain from circulating unverified information and rely only on official updates.
Earlier, the Working Committee of Joint Tribes Council Manipur (JTC-Manipur) and Rongmei Naga Council Manipur (RNCM) issued a strong condemnation of the attack on Rongmei Naga civilians near Pongringlong and Pondaijang (Charoi Pandongba), describing the incident as a grave assault on civilians.
JTC-Manipur alleged that the attack was carried out by armed Kuki groups and claimed, citing eyewitness accounts, that security forces had provided tactical assistance during the incident. The organization further alleged that several rounds of indiscriminate firing were carried out, creating fear among villagers. These allegations could not be independently verified, and no official response from security agencies was available at the time of filing this report.
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The Working Committee (JTC-Manipur), a conglomerate of the Zeme, Liangmai, Rongmei and Inpui sub-tribes had earlier expressed concern over the disappearance of Panmei and urged authorities to take immediate measures to locate and rescue him. Following the recovery of his body, community organizations have called for a comprehensive investigation and accountability for those responsible.
No official statement regarding the exact circumstances of Panmei’s death or the identity of the perpetrators had been issued by authorities as of the time of publication.