A five-day ordeal for a grieving family in Manipur is nearly over. Security forces recovered the severed head of Ajinbou Ringkamai in the early hours of Thursday, ending a search that had kept two post-mortems on hold and Naga civil society groups on the warpath. Ringkamai — reported to be 52 — was beheaded when gunmen attacked his village in Kangpokpi district on October 10, and his killers fled with his head. His headless body reached Imphal's Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) on October 11 — but without the missing head, his family couldn't lay him to rest.
With the recovery complete, doctors conducted the post-mortems on Thursday. The funerals of Ringkamai and a second victim are planned for Friday in their native village. But the case isn't closed: the Working Committee of the Joint Tribes Council-Manipur (WC-JTC) is continuing its agitation, demanding the arrest of three men it holds responsible for the killings.
What happened on October 10
Gunmen attacked Makui Ashang village, a Naga-inhabited settlement in Kangpokpi district, on October 10. Ringkamai was among four Naga men killed in two separate attacks in the district that day. The attackers decapitated him and carried his head away, according to officials and regional reports. A second victim, 48-year-old Dibambou Ringkangmai, was killed in a separate attack; the New Indian Express reported his face was allegedly crushed with stones. The other two victims were identified as Machungmang Daimai and Ramningpou Gangmei, and their families have already conducted their funerals.
The killings were the bloodiest single episode in a fresh round of violence between Kukis and Nagas. More than 50 people have died in clashes between the two communities since February, spread across the Ukhrul, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Noney and Tamenglong districts, the Times of India reported. Five more people — two Nagas, two Kukis and a member of the Gorkha community — were killed in separate attacks in the Naga-majority districts of Kamjong and Ukhrul on October 10 and 11, according to the New Indian Express.
The 48-hour ultimatum
Ringkamai's headless body was brought to JNIMS on October 11. His head was nowhere to be found. For days, the family faced an unthinkable limbo: they had their son's body but couldn't perform his funeral without his head.
On October 12, Naga civil society groups drew a line. The Working Committee of the Joint Tribes Council-Manipur issued a 48-hour deadline to the central and Manipur governments: find and recover the missing head and hand it over to the family for a dignified burial, or face intensified agitation. The council went further and suspended the post-mortem examinations of both Ringkamai and Dibambou Ringkangmai, refusing to let doctors proceed until the missing head was found.
Manipur severed head recovered after midnight search
The deadline worked. A joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Manipur Police, searching forested areas near the attack site, found the remains late Wednesday night. The Liangmai Students' Union said central forces recovered the severed head in Kangpokpi district at around 1:30 am on Thursday — just hours before the WC-JTC's deadline expired. The government later informed Naga leaders of the recovery, the New Indian Express reported.
The remains were taken to the mortuary at JNIMS in Imphal. According to the Times of India, the head arrived at the state-run hospital on Thursday morning for autopsy.
Post-mortems done, funerals on Friday
With the head recovered, the suspended post-mortems finally went ahead. Mathiuchunbou Rimai, president of the Liangmai Students' Union, told the New Indian Express that the autopsy started around 11 am on Thursday. He said the funerals of Ajinbou Ringkamai and Dibambou Ringkangmai would be held on Friday in their native village.
One detail worth flagging for the record: sources differ slightly on the spelling of the victim's surname. The Times of India and most regional outlets render it "Ringkamai," while the New Indian Express uses "Ringkangmai" for the beheaded victim. The second victim's name, Dibambou Ringkangmai, is consistent across reports.
The agitation isn't over
Despite the recovery, the WC-JTC has not stood down. The council's second demand — arrests — remains unmet. "The agitation will continue till the arrest of Thangboi Kipgen, David Hangsing and Sailen Haokip," Rimai told the New Indian Express. Naga organisations have held the trio responsible for the four killings; the newspaper reported they are leaders of Kuki rebel groups that signed the Suspension of Operations agreement with the central government.
That allegation needs careful handling. The claims against the three named individuals have not been independently verified by officials, regional outlets noted. The council has also accused the state and central governments of failing to rein in armed groups operating under the SoO agreement, and warned of intensified protests if its demands aren't met.
Why it matters
This case is about more than one man's murder — though that alone would be horrifying enough. It's a window into a conflict that's been quietly escalating for months. The Kuki-Naga clashes have killed more than 50 people since February, yet they've barely registered in national headlines. A beheading, a stolen head, a 48-hour deadline, a community suspending autopsies in protest — these are the markers of a region where the normal machinery of justice has broken down and civil society has stepped in with ultimatums instead.
The other worrying thread is the blame game. Naga organisations are pinning the killings on leaders of groups operating under the government's own Suspension of Operations agreement — essentially accusing the state's peace framework of sheltering the killers. If the three named men aren't arrested, or if they're found to have no connection, expect the agitation to grow sharper. Our earlier reporting on the Kamjong violence in Manipur showed the same pattern: killings, community pressure, and a government scrambling to respond.
What happens next
The immediate milestone is Friday's funerals in the victims' native village. After that, all eyes are on the police: will the three named men be arrested, and can investigators independently connect them to the attack? The WC-JTC has promised continued agitation until arrests happen, so the weekend could see protests.
The bigger question is whether the government can break the cycle. Kuki-Naga violence has simmered since February. Each killing hardens the other side's position. Without arrests — and without a credible explanation of how armed groups under the SoO agreement could be involved — this case will feed the next round of distrust.
Key Takeaways
- Security forces recovered the severed head of Ajinbou Ringkamai late Wednesday night, five days after he was beheaded in an October 10 attack in Kangpokpi district.
- Ringkamai — reported to be 52 — was among four Naga men killed in two separate attacks in Kangpokpi that day; a joint CRPF-police team found his head in a forested area near the attack site.
- The recovery came hours before a 48-hour deadline set by Naga civil society groups expired; the council had suspended post-mortems until the head was found.
- Post-mortems were conducted Thursday at Imphal's JNIMS hospital; funerals for Ringkamai and Dibambou Ringkangmai are planned for Friday.
- The WC-JTC continues its agitation, demanding the arrest of Thangboi Kipgen, David Hangsing and Sailen Haokip — claims officials have not independently verified.
- More than 50 people have been killed in Kuki-Naga clashes in Manipur since February, per the Times of India.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ajinbou Ringkamai?
Ajinbou Ringkamai was a Naga man, reported to be 52, killed on October 10 in an attack on Makui Ashang village in Manipur's Kangpokpi district. He was beheaded by the attackers, who fled with his head. Some reports spell his surname "Ringkangmai"; the Times of India and most regional outlets use "Ringkamai."
When was the severed head recovered?
The head was recovered late Wednesday night, October 14, and taken to JNIMS hospital in Imphal on Thursday morning. The Liangmai Students' Union said central forces found it in Kangpokpi district at around 1:30 am on Thursday, just hours before a 48-hour ultimatum issued by Naga civil society groups was due to expire.
Why were the post-mortems delayed?
The Joint Tribes Council-Manipur had suspended the post-mortem examinations of Ringkamai and fellow victim Dibambou Ringkangmai until the missing head was recovered, so the family could perform a dignified burial. Once the head was found, doctors at JNIMS conducted the autopsies on Thursday, starting around 11 am.
Who has been blamed for the killings?
Naga organisations have blamed three men — Thangboi Kipgen, David Hangsing and Sailen Haokip — whom the New Indian Express described as leaders of Kuki rebel groups under the Suspension of Operations agreement. The council demands their arrest. The allegations have not been independently verified by officials, and no charges have been announced.
When are the funerals?
The funerals of Ajinbou Ringkamai and Dibambou Ringkangmai are planned for Friday, October 16, in their native village. The other two victims of the October 10 Kangpokpi attacks, Machungmang Daimai and Ramningpou Gangmei, were already buried by their families.
How serious is the Kuki-Naga conflict?
Very. More than 50 people have been killed in clashes between the two communities since February, across the Ukhrul, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Noney and Tamenglong districts. Five more people died in separate attacks on October 10 and 11 in Kamjong and Ukhrul, and the unrest shows no sign of easing.
Sources
- New Indian Express — "Post-mortem of two Nagas killed in Kangpokpi conducted after recovery of severed head" (October 15, 2026): full story
- Times of India — "Severed head of Manipur attack victim recovered 5 days after Naga body's discovery" (October 15, 2026): full story
- Northeast Now — "Manipur: Severed head of Naga man killed in Kangpokpi recovered after five days": full story
- Hub Network — "Missing severed head of Naga man killed in Manipur attack recovered after five days": full story
- News9 Live — breaking news live updates, October 15, 2026: live updates
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By GlobalDeskNews Staff | 15 October 2026