Imphal: The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kuki tribes, has accused Manipur Police of selective reporting and ethnic bias in its official statements on two separate shooting incidents reported on November 12.

In a statement issued on Friday, the organisation alleged that police had used different descriptions for incidents involving a Kuki woman and a Tangkhul Naga civilian, raising questions about the impartiality of the force.

The controversy centres on two statements published by Manipur Police on its official X handle and circulated through its WhatsApp channels within minutes of each other.

According to the organisation, the first statement concerned the killing of Kimneineng Chongloi (40), a Kuki woman who was harvesting paddy when she was allegedly shot dead. Two other Kuki civilians were also injured in the incident.

The organisation claimed that police described the attack merely as a “firing incident” without identifying or characterising the alleged perpetrators.

However, in a second statement concerning a Tangkhul Naga civilian who sustained a bullet injury, police reportedly described the attackers as “suspected Kuki armed miscreants”.

Questioning what it described as inconsistent treatment of the two incidents, Kuki Inpi asked why police had identified the alleged attackers in one case while refraining from doing so in the other.

The organisation also questioned whether the individuals described as suspected Kuki armed miscreants had been identified or arrested and whether investigators had established the origin of the bullets allegedly fired from the Lungter Hills range.

The organisation alleged that the latest developments reflect a pattern of selective reporting and ethnic profiling by Manipur Police since the outbreak of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023.

“This time, Manipur Police has gone too far, and we will no longer remain silent,” the organisation said, accusing the force of portraying Kukis as aggressors while downplaying violence and suffering within the community.

The apex tribal body maintained that Manipur Police, as a constitutional institution, must uphold impartiality and cannot selectively attribute ethnic identities to alleged perpetrators while leaving attacks on Kuki civilians unexplained.

It further argued that such conduct raised serious questions about the police force’s constitutional obligations under Article 14, which guarantees equality before the law.

Four demands placed before police

Kuki Inpi has placed four demands before Manipur Police, seeking accountability and corrective action.

The organisation has called for an immediate internal investigation to identify police officers and personnel responsible for drafting, approving and circulating the two statements.

It has also demanded a public explanation for the differences in reporting, along with disclosure of the evidentiary basis for identifying the alleged attackers as Kuki individuals.

Additionally, the organisation has sought disciplinary proceedings against personnel found responsible for what it described as deliberate misrepresentation or discriminatory reporting.

It has further demanded a formal assurance from the Director General of Police (DGP), Manipur, that all future police communications will follow uniform, impartial and evidence-based standards.

Kuki Inpi has given Manipur Police 72 hours to provide a satisfactory clarification and initiate corrective action.

The organisation warned that failure to comply would compel it to pursue legal and constitutional remedies, including suspending cooperation with Manipur Police in Kuki inhabited areas.