Imphal: BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte, who died in February from injuries sustained in a mob attack during the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur, will be laid to rest on Saturday, more than four months after his death.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Zomi Council said the three-time MLA from Thanlon constituency would be buried at Dorcas Veng village cemetery in Churachandpur district at around 1.30 p.m.
Valte, 61, a member of the Zomi community, died on February 20 at a private hospital in Gurugram after battling injuries he suffered in an attack at Imphal’s Nagamapal area during the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023.
After nearly two years of treatment in Delhi, he returned to Churachandpur with his wife in April 2025. His condition deteriorated on February 7 this year, following which he was airlifted to Gurugram the next day. He died on February 20.
His mortal remains were brought back to Churachandpur later that month and have since been kept at the Churachandpur District Hospital.
The burial was delayed after Zomi civil society organisations formed the Zomi Coordination Committee (ZCC) to pursue issues relating to justice and accountability over the attack on the legislator. Community sources said the committee recently decided to hand over Valte’s body to his family to enable the funeral to take place.
Among its demands, the ZCC has sought a time-bound probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the attack on Valte. The committee has also reiterated its demand for Union Territory status with a legislature for the Kuki-Zo-majority areas of Manipur.
Before his death, Valte had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a separate administrative arrangement for the Kuki-Zo community.
Manipur has witnessed prolonged ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 2023, leaving at least 260 people dead and displacing thousands.