Tension in Jiribam, Manipur, following the death of a man by militants

The individual, identified as Soibam Saratkumar Singh, went missing while returning from his farm, according to the police, who also noted that the body had wounds inflicted by a sharp object. 

Ethnic tensions escalated in Manipur's Jiribam district on Friday following the alleged killing of the 59-year-old farmer, who belonged to the Meitei community, by unknown militants. 

In the aftermath of this incident, numerous villagers, including women and children, began relocating to safer areas.

Police reported that Soibam Saratkumar Singh disappeared while he was on his way back from his farm, and his body was discovered with injuries caused by a sharp object. 

Outraged by the killing, local residents set an abandoned structure on fire, the police stated.

To curb the increasing violence, the District Magistrate (DM) of Jiribam imposed a curfew under relevant sections of the CrPC to prevent further incidents. The DM also instructed the Jiribam Superintendent of Police (SP) to "identify vulnerable areas and deploy security forces to prevent unwanted incidents."

Additionally, a joint control room has been established, comprising officials from the Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force, Manipur Police, and Indian Reserve Battalion, to facilitate swift communication among security forces in the district.

On Friday morning, Luikham Lanmiyo, the superintendent of police in Tamenglong, stated that adequate security measures were in place in areas bordering the Jiribam district, which shares a boundary with the Cachar district in Assam. 

"We are closely monitoring the movement of any individuals crossing from Jiribam to Tamenglong," Lanmiyo said.

Although Saratkumar Singh's family had not formally filed a police complaint, they verbally informed the police about the incident. Following the recovery of Saratkumar’s body, the police registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC.

The ongoing ethnic conflict between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the hills-dominant Kuki community has resulted in the deaths of over 220 people and has left thousands homeless.