Guwahati: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested 21-year-old Rajkumar Maipaksana of Manipur, from Thalassery in Kerala, in connection with the ongoing Manipur riots case.
Maipaksana was taken into custody at 5 pm on Friday (May 16, 2025) while working at a local hotel in Kerala, where he had recently joined as a housekeeping staff.
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NIA officers tracked Maipaksana after days of surveillance.
Posing as health officials conducting routine monsoon disease checks, they visited workers’ lodgings and requested identity verification.
Upon presenting his Aadhaar card and identifying a distinctive tattoo on his neck, they confirmed his identity and arrested him.
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Maipaksana, who hails from Imphal, reportedly received training from the banned militant group United National Liberation Front (UNLF), linked to a case registered in Imphal related to the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur.
As per sources, he offered no resistance and complied with officers after realizing his arrest.
The NIA, after months of investigation, conducted the operation without prior notice to the Kerala police.
During the arrest, officials recovered a fake passport, which Maipaksana allegedly attempted to use for international travel through Tirur but failed.
Subsequently, the initial investigations revealed that Maipaksana came to Thalassery after responding to a hotel management job advertisement on social media.
His proficiency in English and Hindi helped him blend in with other youths from Manipur recruited by the hotel.
Sources further mentioned that Maipaksana arrived in Kerala last month, traveling across several districts before temporarily settling in a rented house in Manjodi, Thiruvnagad, Thalassery.
This arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into the ethnic violence in Manipur, with the NIA continuing to track individuals connected to extremist groups.