48-hour ultimatum over man's severed head as Manipur violence claims 9 lives

The Joint Tribes Council Manipur said the head of Ajinbou R was still missing and warned that a post-mortem would not be allowed until it was returned to the family for a dignified burial. The organisation also held the state and Central governments directly responsible for the renewed violenceA Naga civil society organisation in Manipur has issued a 48-hour ultimatum seeking the return of the severed head.Imphal,Oct 12, 2026 10:18 ISTA Naga civil society organisation in Manipur has issued a 48-hour ultimatum seeking the return of the severed head of a man allegedly killed by armed groups in Kangpokpi district. The demand has come amid a fresh wave of violence in the state, in which at least nine people were killed in separate firing incidents in three districts.The Joint Tribes Council Manipur said the head of Ajinbou R was still missing and warned that a post-mortem would not be allowed until it was returned to the family for a dignified burial. The organisation also held the state and Central governments directly responsible for the renewed violence and described the killing as an affront to humanity.The headless body of 52-year-old Ajinbou R, allegedly killed in a suspected militant attack on Makui Ashang village in Kangpokpi district on Saturday, was brought to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal for post-mortem on Sunday night.A video purportedly showing Ajinbou's head among heavily armed militants in camouflage went viral on Saturday. In a statement on Sunday, the council said, "The head of Ajinbou remains missing. Post-mortem will not be conducted till his head is returned to his family members for a dignified burial. We will not allow state machinery to mutilate the remains further while his head is treated as a trophy by militants."Holding the state and Central governments directly responsible for the renewed violence, it said, "This heinous crime is an affront to humanity." The council also issued a "non-negotiable 48-hour ultimatum" to locate and return the severed head, failing which it warned of taking the "most stringent measures" to secure justice.The latest killings began after a 22-year-old mother of five was shot dead by unknown assailants in Kuki-dominated Chassad village in Naga-majority Kamjong district on Friday night. Her killing triggered an exchange of fire between Kuki and Naga armed groups, which continued till Saturday morning.Fresh violence then hit Manipur, with at least nine people killed in separate firing incidents in Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts on Friday and Saturday.Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh condemned the killings and asked the authorities concerned to take immediate and "effective steps to control the situation, restore peace and order and ensure the safety and security of all citizens."More than 50 people have been killed and dozens of houses torched in violence between Kuki and Naga tribes since February this year.Earlier, the state had also witnessed ethnic violence between the Meiteis of the Imphal Valley and Kukis in the adjoining hills, in which over 300 people were killed, while 49 remained missing and thousands were rendered homeless.- Ends