Fresh tension gripped Manipur’s Ukhrul district after an alleged Kuki group held 18 Nagas, including women and children, captive on Wednesday (March 11, 2026).

The people reportedly held hostage were travelling in three vehicles — two private cars and a commercial carrier — on National Highway 202, also called the Ukhrul-Imphal Road. Their vehicles were stopped at Thawai Kuki village in the Shangkai area.

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The village is within the jurisdiction of the Litan police station. The Litan area witnessed violence and arson in February after a group of Kuki men assaulted a Naga man in an alleged drunken brawl.

The incident followed an anti-poppy cultivation drive carried out by some Naga men earlier in the day. They reportedly took custody of a Kuki poppy cultivator, triggering the reaction.

It could not be ascertained whether or not the Kuki man was released.

On way to wedding

Family members of the passengers held hostage, some of whom were travelling for a wedding, raised the alarm when they did not reach their destinations. The captors had also reportedly snatched the passengers’ mobile phones, heightening the anxiety of their family members.

Expressing “profound concern” over the situation along the Ukhrul-Imphal Road, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh directed senior police and administrative officials to secure the release of the civilians and keep the situation in the district under control.

He also appealed to all civil society organisations and stakeholders to help maintain calm, urging those responsible for the latest incident to “uphold the highest traditions of humanity and ensure the safe and unconditional release of all the civilians at the earliest”.

The Chief Minister assured the families of the victims and the people of the State that the government was treating the matter seriously and would take all necessary steps to book the culprits involved.

The Tangkhul Naga Long, the apex Naga organisation in the district, brought the incident to the Chief Minister’s notice.

“This incident is not only a grave violation of the basic human rights and freedom of movement of citizens, but also reflects a serious breakdown of law and order along a vital public road connecting Ukhrul and Imphal. The continued captivity of innocent travellers has created fear, anger, and deep resentment among the public, as their families remain in distress and uncertainty regarding their safety,” the organisation wrote to the Chief Minister.

It urged the government to secure the safe and unconditional release of the civilians without any delay. It said that the State government could not remain a silent spectator when innocent citizens were unlawfully detained on a public highway.

“Failure to address such incidents decisively will only deepen the prevailing insecurity and undermine public confidence in the ability of the government to maintain law and order,” the organisation stated.

Meanwhile, the Shangkai Village Authority condemned Tangkhul “volunteers” for reportedly opening fire on Kuki cultivators. It said a person from Thowai Kuki village was undergoing treatment after sustaining a bullet injury in his leg, while two other Kuki men have been missing after they were fired upon.