Abduction and murder case of Linthoingambi, Hemanjit
Main accused held taking total of arrested persons to five
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 24 2026: The main accused in the kidnapping and murder of Hijam Linthoingambi and Phijam Hemanjit was arrested by a combined team of security forces and CBI from Churachandpur district on May 23, 2026 .

Acting on specific information shared by the CBI about the presence of the main accused, Nohgin Baite Kuki alias Tiger Nohgin (39) s/o (L) Janglam Baite of Leimatak Bungmol village who is also said to be the commander of KNF (Zougam), a combined team of Central armed force, Assam Rifles and State force carried out massive search operation in Henglep area of Churachandpur district and arrested the main accused.

Abduction and murder case of Linthoingambi, Hemanjit<

The main accused was brought up to Imphal airport under very tight security arrangement and taken to Guwahati in an Indigo flight, sources said.

Earlier on October 1, 2023, a combined team of CBI, Indian Army and Assam Rifles arrested four persons including the wife of the main accused in connection with the abduction and cold blooded murder of the two students.

The four accused arrested in October 2023 were identified as Paominlun Haokip, Smalsawn Haokip, Lhingneichong Baite and Paolunmang and they allegedly had direct knowledge of the crime.

Widespread protest erupted in the valley districts of the State after photos of Linthoingambi and Hemanjit who went missing on July 6, 2023 emerged on social media on September 25, 2023 .

The photo showed the two students sitting on a grassy compound while two armed men could be seen behind them.

In another photo, the bodies of the two students could be seen.

The State Government handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the CBI registered a case for investigation on August 23, 2023 .

On January 3, 2024, CBI filed two separate charge sheets against five accused persons including Nohgin Baite Kuki for kidnapping with the intention to kill the two students under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 201 IPC (causing disappearance of evidence), 204 IPC (destruction of evidence) and 364 IPC (kidnapping with an intention to kill) before the designated special Court, Kamrup, Assam.

Through the charge sheets, the CBI submitted that on July 6, 2023, two students on bike proceeded toward Bishnupur and then to Old Cachar Road where they were intercepted by a group of people. The two students were held captive by the five persons named in the charge sheets.

The accused persons forcibly put the students in a vehicle and took them to an undisclosed location where they were suspected to have been killed.

Among the five persons named in the charge sheets, Paolunmang was arrested from Pune, Paominlun Haokip, Smalsawn Haokip and Lhingneichong Baite were nabbed from Henglep area of Churachandpur district but Nohgin Baite Kuki remained on the run before he was arrested yesterday.

Nohgin Baite Kuki was earlier arrested by a combined team of Bishnupur commandos and 31 Assam Rifles along with arms and ammunition from Loktak Project Gate in August 2020.At that time, he was just a cadre of KNF-Z, said the sources.

However, CBI has not yet issued any statement regarding the arrest of Nohgin Baite Kuki.