The recent killing of Lucy Marem, a 57-year-old member of the Maring Naga community, has heightened existing tensions in the violence-stricken state of Manipur. Marem was shot dead near the foothills of Keibi Heikak Mapal village in Imphal East district on Saturday, sparking anger among the Nagas.

In response to the incident, nine individuals from the Meitei community, including five women, were apprehended the following day. In an uncommon move since the outbreak of violence on May 3, the Imphal East police conducted a press conference on Sunday evening to update the media about the actions taken in response to the killing.

Also Read: Manipur: Surpeme Court refuses to interfere in High Court order on Internet restoration

Manipur has witnessed over 140 deaths in the ongoing violence, primarily involving the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities. Marem’s murder is the first recorded instance of a member of the Naga community being killed in the ongoing clashes.

According to her family, Marem was mentally challenged and went missing on Saturday morning from her residence in Langol Games Village in Imphal West district, reports The Indian Express. Her family was unaware of how she ended up in Keibi, which is nearly 20 km away from her home.

Also Read: Manipur violence: Woman shot dead at her home in Imphal East, face disfigured

The family learned about her disappearance when they received a phone call around 2 pm from Marem’s native village of Pallel. The caller informed the family that “Lucy was apprehended by Meira Paibis (Meitei women activists),” her cousin, Tabitha, told IE.

Around 2:30 pm, the family received another call from the police, asking them to identify a body at the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. “How can people be so barbaric, killing an innocent and harmless person brutally? We later learned that Lucy was killed even after identifying herself as belonging to the Maring Naga tribe. We condemn the act in the strongest terms,” Tabitha said expressing her anguish.

In response to the incident, a 12-hour shutdown was observed on Monday in the state’s five Naga-dominated districts following a call by the United Naga Council (UNC), the apex body of the Nagas. The UNC, in a strongly-worded statement on Sunday, accused Meira Paibis of apprehending Marem and handing her over to members of the Meitei radical group Arambai Tenggol.

In an unusual move, Arambai Tenggol, which claimed to have dissolved in May, issued a statement on Monday condemning the killing and denying any association with the incident. The group said that its objective is to “save the future of all indigenous people of Manipur.”

Both Meitei and Naga groups assert that their communities are indigenous to Manipur, as opposed to the Kuki-Zomis. In an expression of their condemnation, residents of the Keibi area demolished four houses belonging to those allegedly involved in the killing and claimed to “excommunicate” the accused.

“We are deeply disturbed by the incident. We have an understanding not to harm any of the indigenous communities residing in the state,” stated Anil Huidrom, president of a local club in Keibi.

Manipur comprises three major ethnic groups—the Meiteis, the Nagas, and the Kuki-Zomis. The Naga community has maintained its distance from the ongoing violence, with the state’s 10 Naga MLAs emphasising that Naga areas should not be affected in case of any settlement regarding a separate administration for Kuki-Zomi areas.