The body of Thadou tribe leader Nehkam Jomhao (59) has been recovered from a river in Karbi Anglong district of Assam, five days after he was abducted and killed allegedly by cadres of Assam-based militant group, the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), police said.
Police sources have confirmed that the body was recovered on Thursday and has been sent for postmortem.
Jomhao, chairman of the Thadou Literary Society Assam and a key voice in peace initiatives in trouble-torn Manipur, went missing from his residence in Manja last Saturday.
Following a complaint filed by his family, five men were arrested — all linked to the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), a former militant outfit currently under a ceasefire agreement in Assam.
As per police sources, Nehkam Jomhao, 59, was abducted from his residence at Chonghang Veng in the Manja area on August 30 evening around 7:30 pm before being killed, according to local police. His death has sent shockwaves through the Thadou community, which has been asserting its distinct ethnic identity separate from other tribal groups in the region.
The Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) Assam, which operates under a ceasefire agreement similar to Manipur’s suspension of operations pact, issued a statement on September 4 expressing being “shocked and deeply saddened by the heinous crime.”
General secretary L.S. Gangte, in a statement, said the act was carried out without the knowledge or sanction of the KRA leadership.
“The cadres acted on their own in sheer emotional impulse, fully aware such actions would never have been permitted by the organisation. We accept moral responsibility, apologise to the bereaved family, and suspend all five cadres from the group,” Gangte said.
The outfit further assured cooperation with law enforcement agencies and announced an internal review to strengthen discipline and accountability.
The killing has sparked outrage across Karbi Anglong and beyond. Several tribal organisations, including Thadou Inpi Manipur, Thadou Students’ Association (TSA), and Thadou Community International (TCI), have strongly condemned the killing.
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
