Two migrant labourers from Bihar were shot dead in the Meitei-dominated Kakching district of Manipur on Saturday evening, according to police reports. The victims, identified as Sunalal Kumar (18) and Dasharat Kumar (17), both from Gopalganj in Bihar, were attacked while returning to their rented accommodation after work in the Keirak area at around 5:20 pm.
The labourers were rushed to a nearby hospital but were declared dead on arrival. The police have filed an ‘unnatural death’ case, though no arrests have been made yet. An investigation is underway to determine the motive behind the killings.
The attack comes amid ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur, where violence between the Meitei community in the Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo groups in the hills has been escalating. Since May 2023, the conflict has claimed over 250 lives and displaced thousands of people.
