Imphal: The Special Court (NIA) in Manipur’s Imphal West has granted bail to Mark Thangmang Haokip, president of the self-declared “Government of People’s Democratic Republic of Kukiland.”
The Special Judge, NIA Imphal West, issued the order on February 27, 2026, in connection with a case filed against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and multiple sections of the IPC.
Haokip was released on bail upon furnishing two sureties of Rs 3,00,000 each and a personal bond of Rs 3,00,000. He is directed to appear before the court via video conferencing on March 10, 2026.
He was released after the court, on February 2, 2026, framed charges against Mark (40), a resident of Molnom village, Churachandpur, and son of Limkhosei Haokip.
He is accused of being involved in a conspiracy aimed at secession from India and of waging, or attempting to wage, war against the Indian government. He is charged under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Mark was arrested on May 30, 2022, in Kishangarh, New Delhi, on charges of actively spreading propaganda through social media with the motive to create instability, communal hatred, and animosity, and to incite violence to achieve the organizational goal, i.e., the Democratic Republic of Kukiland.
The submitted charge sheet stated that his acts escalated the prevailing situation into communal hatred and tension between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the state.
A diary belonging to the accused, which disclosed a plan to gain sovereign power against the state for the so-called Kukiland, comprising areas under India, Burma, and Bangladesh, was also seized, the charge sheet recorded. He was further charged with forming a group that owns a website (www.kukigovt.com) to propagate their ideas and hatch a conspiracy against the Union government.
Kukiland Media, meanwhile, reported that Haokip is known for advocating justice for the Kuki community even before the ethnic unrest in Manipur broke out. His supporters allege that he was unfairly targeted and that his prolonged incarceration was unjustified.
His bail has sparked mixed reactions, with some welcoming it as a step toward justice.