Guwahati: Assam’s Karbi Anglong Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanjib Kumar Saikia on Monday confirmed the arrest of five individuals in connection with the alleged murder of Nehkam Jomhao, a respected leader of the Thadou community.
“We have arrested five suspects so far. The body has not yet been recovered. The situation in the district remains normal,” SSP Saikia told Northeast Now during a phone interview on Monday morning.
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He added that the investigation remains active as authorities work to uncover the full circumstances behind the killing.
Police made the arrests after unknown assailants abducted Jomhao from his residence in Chonghang Veng, located in the Manja area of Karbi Anglong, around 7:30 pm on Saturday, August 30.
According to SSP Saikia, police have identified the suspects as former cadres of the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA).
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Investigators believe they killed Jomhao and disposed of his body in a nearby river. Despite sustained search operations, police have yet to recover the body.
Jomhao’s murder comes less than a month after he participated in a historic peace dialogue in Imphal on August 6, where he represented Thadou Inpi Manipur in formal talks with Meitei organizations.
That dialogue marked the first such engagement between the two communities since the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur.
Following the incident, community organizations, including Thadou Community International (TCI) and the Thadou Students’ Association (TSA), alleged that certain Kuki militant factions viewed Jomhao’s peace-building efforts as a challenge and targeted him for it.
The investigation is also examining the possibility of personal enmity between Jomhao and one of the accused, alongside the broader political implications of his role in peace negotiations.
Local leaders condemned the killing, calling it a “cold-blooded murder” and a serious blow to ongoing reconciliation efforts in the conflict-hit region.
They have called on authorities to ensure justice and strengthen security for Thadou leaders in both Assam and Manipur to prevent further targeted violence.
The arrests and the unfolding investigation have brought renewed scrutiny to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki insurgent groups. Critics argue that the agreement has allowed such militants to regroup and act with impunity.
As police continue efforts to recover Jomhao’s body and determine the motive, the case highlights the deep-rooted ethnic fault lines in the region and the fragile state of the peace process.