Manipur announces Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia for Rishikanta Singh killed in Churachandpur

Guwahati: Manipur government has announced ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakhs to next of the kin of the deceased Mayanglangbam Rishikanta Singh. The family of Singh who shot dead in Churachandpur on Wednesday, have refused to accept his body unless their demands, including the arrest of the perpetrators, are met.

The incident happened on January 21. He was married to Chingnu Haokip. After the marriage, Singh had adopted a tribal name, Ginminthang.

A senior police official who does not want to be named said the couple was abducted on Wednesday by suspected United Kuki National Army (UKNA) militants and taken towards Natjang village under Henglep police station in Churachandpur district.


The body of Rishikanta was handed over to Kakching police on Thursday night. The body is presently at the mortuary of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), Imphal.

Convener of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) Khumukcham Pradip said the deceased’s family has decided not to claim his body until the state government gives a concrete assurance to fulfil all their demands.

The official said that a video clip of the brutal crime has gone viral on social media, showing the victim pleading for his life with folded hands before being shot at close range by the armed assailants. Singh was working in Nepal and has recently returned to Manipur.

The police official said, “His wife has sought permission from the Kuki organisations for allowing his husband to stay in Churachandpur district, which is a Kuki-Zo people dominated area".

Commissioner cum secretary (Home) N Ashok Kumar in a statement stated the state government expressed its deepest condolences and share and sorrow of the bereaved family and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh.

According to the statement, Rishikanta was abducted along with his wife, Chingnu Haokip, from their residence at the district headquarters area of Tuibong under Churachandpur police station. He was later shot dead in the general area of Natjang village in Churachandpur district by unknown armed miscreants on January 21, 2026.

A Joint Action Committee led by MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, along with MLAs Thokchom Lokeshwar Singh and Kangujam Ranjit Singh, accompanied by family members of the bereaved, called on the Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla and submitted a memorandum on Thursday . The memorandum conveyed concerns and sought appropriate action in connection with the unfortunate death of Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh.

Governor informed the delegation that the case is being handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a thorough and impartial investigation.

Over 260 people were killed, more than 1,500 injured, and over 60,000 people displaced after the ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo people on May 3, 2023, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Governor

Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla participated in the observance of Parakram Diwas 2026, the 129th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the INA War Museum-cum-Library, Moirang.

Addressing the gathering, the Governor said that observing Parakram Diwas at Moirang is both a tribute to India’s freedom struggle and a reaffirmation of the nation’s enduring resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and unity.

Recalling that the Indian National Army first hoisted the tricolour on Indian soil at Moirang in April 1944, he said the courage and sacrifice associated with this historic event continued to inspire the national conscience.

Governor noted that Manipur’s contribution to the freedom movement, particularly through the INA, remained a source of immense pride and reflected the State’s long-standing commitment to the ideals of patriotism and national service.