The Kuki National Front Military Council on Friday, June 7, 2024, issued a statement denying that Thongminthang Haokip, arrested a day ago by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), was associated with their outfit.
The NIA had issued a statement on Thursday saying that it had arrested Mr. Haokip in a case it had registered in July last year relating to an alleged transnational conspiracy by terror outfits based in Myanmar and Bangladesh to “wage war” against the Government of India by exploiting the current ethnic unrest in Manipur.
The NIA had stated that Mr. Haokip was a member of the KNF-MC.
Issuing a clarification of Friday, the KNF-MC said that Mr. Haokip had nothing to do with the organisation and that neither was he a registered cadre member of the organisation.
It added that the arrest of Mr. Haokip’s arrest in the NIA case had nothing to do with the organisation and it’s activities.
In its statement, the NIA said on Thursday Mr. Haokip had been arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
“He has admitted to have participated in several armed attacks against security forces and on the opposite group in the current crisis in the state. He has also admitted being member of Kuki National Front-Military Council (KNF-MC) and United Tribal Volunteers (UTV),” the NIA said in a statement.
