Kangpokpi: Police have arrested three suspects in the recent murder of a village chief in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district. The arrest came on the same day chief minister N Biren Singh assured to book the culprits behind the shooting to death of Zilhem Khongsai, the chief of Naphai village.
The village chief was shot dead by the miscreants after calling him out from his home on the night of June 6.
A team of Saikul police investigating into the case arrested the three suspects on Wednesday evening, around 4.30 pm. Three SBBL guns were also confiscated from their possessions, the police said.
The arrested suspects were identified as Jamlai Khongsai (40), Thangkhohao Khongsai (37) and Paomang Khongsai (36), all residents of Naphai village. Among them, Jamlai Khongsai is said to be a cadre of the Kuki National Army (KLA), an armed group under Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the government, the police also said.
The duty magistrate of Kangpokpi district where police produced them today remanded the three suspects into police custody for 10 days.
The motive behind the killing of the village chief might have been linked to the post of the chief of the village, said Additional DGP (Law & Order and Training), Clay Khongsai.
Addressing a press conference in his office chamber today, the Additional DGP said that the deceased Zilhem Khongsai was the caretaker chief of Naphai village.
The fathers of the deceased and the three suspects were relatives, the police officer informed.
“The main motive of the killing of the man was most probably due to a family feud,” Clay Khongsai also said.
He, however, added that the actual motive behind the murder will be known only after a thorough investigation.
NNN
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