Manipur Police Arrest Meitei Man in Connection with Domestic Violence Against Kuki-Zo Woman

The Manipur Police on Sunday arrested Khaidem Naocha in connection with domestic violence inflicted on his wife, Nengneihoi.

On Sunday, a video went viral on social media showing bruise marks and scars on the body of the victim, Nengneihoi.

In the video, people could be heard claiming that the bruises on Nengneihoi's body were the result of torture perpetrated by her husband.

A release issued by the Manipur Police on Sunday stated that on April 27, a Zero FIR was registered at the Women’s Police Station in Churachandpur, based on a written report regarding a domestic violence case involving Nengneihoi (25 years old), who is married to Khaidem Naocha of Tangjeng, under the Kumbi Police Station in Bishnupur District, Manipur. The report also mentioned that Naocha and other family members were involved in the abuse.

The release further stated that the victim is currently undergoing treatment at the District Hospital in Churachandpur.

"Based on the Zero FIR, a case has been registered at the Women’s Police Station, Imphal East District. The investigation is ongoing, and the husband, Khaidem Naocha (28 years old), son of Kh. Jugindro Singh of Tangjeng Ahalup, Bishnupur, and A/P New Checkon, Imphal East, has been arrested for further investigation," the release stated.

Meanwhile, the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) has strongly condemned the "barbaric and inhumane acts" allegedly perpetrated against Nengneihoi, a 21-year-old Kuki woman, by her Meitei husband, Khaidem Naocha, and members of the Meira Paibis.

KWOHR stated that Nengneihoi, originally from Tangjing in Bishnupur District and residing in New Checkon, Imphal, endured severe physical and psychological torture at the hands of her husband and the Meira Paibis.

According to the release, Nengneihoi was brutally beaten, tied to a bed with her hands and legs bound, and left without food or water for three days.

Khaidem later contacted Nengneihoi’s cousin, claiming he was sending her away for her safety due to the ongoing ethnic violence against Kukis. Believing it was an act of care, her family agreed.

However, Nengneihoi was abandoned at Ningthoukong Gate, where a Kabui neighbor came to her aid and transported her to a Kuki village.

Upon her arrival, she collapsed from exhaustion and injuries. Her family discovered bruises covering her entire body, the result of days of extreme violence, as stated in the release.

KWOHR highlighted that in 2023, Nengneihoi had already survived an attempted murder by members of the extremist group Arambai Tenggol, who slit her throat and left her by the roadside. She survived due to the intervention of the Manipur Police and timely medical treatment.

KWOHR expressed deep disappointment that the Meira Paibis, a group historically formed to defend the rights and dignity of women, have turned into instruments of ethnic hatred and violence.

As the ethnic cleansing of Kuki communities by Meitei groups continues, the Meira Paibis have repeatedly been complicit in acts of violence, including the rape, torture, and killing of Kuki women and girls, as stated in the release.

The Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights calls upon all national and international human rights organizations, women’s rights groups, and civil society at large to strongly condemn these ongoing atrocities in Manipur.

The organization also urged immediate intervention to ensure justice for Nengneihoi and protection for all vulnerable Kuki women facing systemic abuse and violence.