NIA-Police Identity Dispute: Thadou Inpi Seeks Clarification

Imphal, August 12, 2026: The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) and other Thadou organisations have sought clarification from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) over what they described as a discrepancy in the identification of an accused arrested in connection with the Tronglaobi IED attack.

In a media release issued by Mangou Thadou, Joint General Secretary, Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) on Wednesday, Thadou Inpi Manipur said the NIA’s press statement dated August 12 identified the arrested person as S. Palal Thadou, while Manipur Police identified him as S. Palal Kuki, also known as Laboi Singson and Laboi Kuki.

According to Manipur Police, the accused had allegedly admitted to being the S/S Finance Head of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA). The Thadou organisations said the NIA must clarify the apparent inconsistency in the nomenclature and establish the accused’s identity on the basis of verified facts.

The organisations further clarified that the accused has no association whatsoever with TIM, TSA or any Thadou organisation, and does not represent the Thadou community in any capacity.

According to information cited by the organisations, the accused was born in Nagaland, is married to Chongboi Haokip of Teijang Village in Kangvai Sub-Division, Churachandpur, and is presently residing at Molnom Village in Churachandpur.

The organisations said Manipur Police had officially stated that the accused was allegedly affiliated with the UKNA and held the position of S/S Finance Head. They called for a thorough investigation into his organisational links, financial role and ideological affiliations.

They further said that any evidence supporting violent Kuki supremacist ideology, terrorists or extremist networks must be exposed and dealt with strictly under the law. At the same time, they stressed that such alleged extremist ideology must not be confused with, or attributed to, the wider Thadou community.

The Thadou organisations also referred to the April 7, 2026 Tronglaobi attack, which occurred on the very day the Hun-Thadou Cultural Festival 2026 was scheduled to be held in Imphal. They said the incident caused immense hardship and grief to the Thadou community and resulted in the deaths of two innocent children.

The organisations appealed to every peace-loving community in Manipur to understand the pain caused by the tragedy and supported a thorough investigation into the larger conspiracy behind the Tronglaobi attack.

They urged the NIA to immediately clarify and, if necessary, correct the nomenclature used in its press statement and identify the accused based on his verified identity and established affiliations.

The Thadou organisations said they fully support a comprehensive investigation into the attack and demanded that every individual and organisation found responsible be brought to justice.

They also cautioned that an alleged militant identity or alias must never be used to falsely associate criminality with an entire community.

The media release also reiterated a position attributed to the Thadou Convention, 2024, stating that Thadou is a distinct ethnic group and is neither Kuki nor underneath Kuki, nor part of Kuki, but a separate and independent entity from Kuki. It further stated that any organisation incorporating “Thadou” while espousing Kuki and mis-portraying Thadou as Kuki or part of Kuki is considered illegitimate and does not represent the Thadou people and their interests.