52 People Have Been Killed in Manipur Violence According to Hospitals

The Chief Medical Officer of Churachandpur District Hospital reports that 12 dead, including three that were brought in after Friday night's shooting, have been taken into the mortuary since the outbreak of unrest on May 3.

Senior hospital authorities have told The Indian Express that at least 52 people have died in Manipur since the state's Meitei and Kuki groups started fighting on Wednesday. Seven of these fatalities occurred in Churachandpur on Friday, including three in a situation where security officers allegedly opened fire on individuals attempting to obstruct the removal of Meiteis from the region.

The Chief Medical Officer of Churachandpur District Hospital reports that 12 dead, including three that were brought in after Friday night's shooting, have been taken into the mortuary since the outbreak of unrest on May 3. Two more people were gravely hurt in the event, while four bodies were brought in earlier in the day after a gunfight at the Churachandpur-Bishnupur border, according to a senior physician at the hospital.

In the course of the violence, security guards at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal West carried 26 dead — 24 males and 2 women — to the mortuary, according to top hospital officials. In the district of Bishnupur, a family from Nambol has only made one corpse claim. Twelve bodies were delivered to the mortuary by security officers from various districts, while two patients died from their injuries at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East. Senior hospital officials reported that not a single one had been claimed by their families.

However, the official death toll has not yet been made public by the state administration or police. P Doungel, the Director General of Police (DGP) for Manipur, had given security concerns as justification for the choice on Friday. Nianghoihching, 34, was one of those allegedly killed in Churachandpur by gunfire from security personnel. She had been employed as a nurse on a temporary basis at Churachandpur District Hospital since 2021, after spending eight years at Jasola Apollo in Delhi, according to her brother Lam Jacob.

Jacob then added, "We were at home in the evening when suddenly we heard that the Army is attempting to evacuate Meiteis from the area and that we must block the route. She followed everyone else in moving towards the road. I remained at home. She left for around ten to fifteen minutes before we learned that she had been hurt. We were informed that she had passed away after being transferred to the hospital."

The evening's events, according to Churachandpur resident and researcher Muan Hangsing (24), came to an end after a day of "uneasy calm" in the community. He stated, "Because of the Army deployment, no one dares to move around during the day. But around 7 pm, we got information that security vehicles were moving to evacuate Meitei people stranded in the town. We all gathered at Tidim Road and barricaded it, with women at the forefront because we thought that the security personnel would not shoot at them."

Another 30-year-old resident who had come to block the road claimed that "the Meiteis are stuck here, while Kuki people are stuck in Imphal" and that until the safety of Kukis is secured, they did not want Meiteis to be removed from the region. The Kukis have been targeted in the state capital Imphal, while the Meiteis have been attacked in hill tribe-dominated districts.
An Assam Rifles official in Imphal verified that persons had perished in the firing after hearing reports of a gathering of "80-200" people. "Evacuation of people from different parts of the state is constantly going on," he added, adding that road blockades are still frequent in various regions of the state.

The deaths were also confirmed by a high-ranking central security forces official. There have been 62 injuries reported to JNIMS in Imphal, according to a hospital official, but the latest one was received on Friday morning. The official added, "Of the 62, except four-five cases, all have pellet injuries. Of these, 26 have been admitted. Some of these include grievous injuries such as a skull injury with a pellet in the brain and another of serious abdominal injury."

Meanwhile, Letminthang Haokip, a tax assistant, was reportedly slain in Imphal, according to the IRS (Indian Revenue Service) Association. They tweeted, "No cause or ideology can justify the killing of an innocent public servant on duty."

In a separate internal communication to his force on Saturday, the CRPF's DIG (ops) stated: "Regarding ensuring the safety of CRPF personnel on leave, during the prevailing Law and Order situation in Manipur, Competent Authority has desired all the units offices/establishments to promptly contact their personnel hailing from Manipur, who is presently on leave. In case they feel unsafe/insecure, they are directed to report immediately at the nearest CRPF, BSF, or SF location, along with their family members. Please ensure to extend all possible assistance to such personnel on a priority basis."