Waari Singbul Network | 6 October 2023

The Zogam faction of Kuki National Front, KNF (Z), the Kuki armed outfit, currently under Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the government of India and Manipur has issued a clarification that S. Malsawm and Paominlun Haokip, the two males who were among the 4 arrested by CBI on Sunday from Churachandpur in connection with the abduction and murder of the two teen students from Imphal are not members of KN(Z) nor have any affiliation with KNF(Z). The release claimed that they are president and general secretary of Kuki Student Organisation (KSO) Leimata Block and condemned the disinformation alleging the two KSO leaders as KNF (Z). Further, the press communique stated that one Nohgin Baite is not a member of the outfit in any capacity. 

The clarification comes after a viral social media message on Sunday claimed S. Malsawm and Paominlun Haokip are KNF (Z) cadres and Nohgin Baite is the KNF-Z commander of Joujangtek area in South Manipur’s Churachandpur district.

The armed outfit through a press release condemning the disinformation and  stated that the viral message is “unfounded and inaccurate” and termed it as an attempt to tarnish its image and asserted that it adheres strictly to the SoO ground rules.

The communique made availabe via email stated that Baite was arrested by Manipur Police on charges of extortion along with one Paokam who was an active KNF cadre on 6 August 2020. The two were caught while trying to extort money from NHPC, Loktak Project using firearms. Police arrested them near Lower Komkeirap, Loktak and in its FIR recorded both of them as KN (z) cadres. KNF (Z) clarified that Paokam was terminated from KNF (z) on 10/06/2020 for his illegal involvement and violation of the SoO ground rules. It stated that since the outfit entered into the tripartite SoO agreement with the Governments there were no intakes of cadres nor does it condone any of its memebers found involved in “any illegal and unethical” aagainst the SoO ground rules.

The release goes on to state that on 3rd March, 2023, Baite was involved in an incident, where he along with a non SoO Kuki Independent Army (KIA) cadre were responsible for unauthorized possession and looting of firearms from its designation camp Horeb. KNF (Z) reiterated that Nohgin Baite is neither a member nor a commander within KNF(Z) ; instead he is an active non-SoO KIA cadre.