Imphal: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) recorded the statement of Manipur’s United Naga Council (UNC) president, Ng Lorho, at the Senapati Superintendent of Police (SP) office on Tuesday.
The questioning is part of the ongoing probe into the May 13 ambush in the Kotlen–Kotzim area of Kangpokpi district, which resulted in the killing of three pastors belonging to the Thadou community.
NIA officials travelling from Kohima to Imphal stopped in Senapati to formally record statements from key local figures.
Taposh Basumatary, SP, NIA Branch Office, Imphal, said that it had become necessary to record statements from individuals in Senapati whose names had emerged during the course of the investigation.
The agency is examining all relevant facts and gathering witness testimonies. As part of the exercise, NIA investigators recorded formal statements from key community leaders, including the UNC president, at the Senapati Superintendent of Police office.
During the investigation, joint teams have conducted targeted raids and made initial arrests, including local suspects, in connection with the abduction and killing of the victims. However, official details regarding the findings remain restricted as the investigation continues.
The investigation is also continuing after the UNC president urged government agencies to expedite the probe into the killing of six Naga men.
On May 13, 2026, six Naga men, including local pastors, were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district following an earlier ambush that killed three Thadou church leaders. On June 10, 2026, the mutilated bodies of the six missing Naga men were recovered near a Kuki-Zo village and later identified through forensic examination.
The killings triggered intense ethnic tensions, widespread protests across Naga and Meitei areas, and economic blockades along major hill routes, disrupting the supply of essential goods. A joint team led by the NIA later arrested two individuals in connection with the killings after initially questioning a local police officer from Kangpokpi.