Months before his death, Manipur MLA wrote to PM, sought probe on mob attack

Five months before his death, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Manipur, Vungzagin Valte, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi detailing how he was brutally attacked by the “Meitei militia [Arambai Tenggol]”.

Mr. Valte had said that the attack left him with severe injuries that paralysed him, and despite the gravity of the incident, no special inquiry, either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA), was ever initiated.

The letter was sent on September 13, 2025, when Mr. Modi made his maiden visit to Manipur after the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023. Arambai Tenggol, a relatively new radical Meitei armed group, gained notoriety after the conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities started.

Mr. Valte, who never recovered from the life-threatening injuries after being assaulted by a mob on May 4, 2023, passed away at a private hospital in Gurugram, Haryana, on February 20. “The arrest may take time as he was attacked by a mob. We are pursuing all leads,” Losii Dikho, Deputy Chief Minister, Manipur told The Hindu.

In the letter, Mr. Valte had said that as a three-term MLA and BJP adviser to former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, he had “witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by the Zomi-Kuki-Hmar community”.

“On May 4, 2023, after attending security meeting at CM’s office, to discuss the safe transportation of my people especially Churachandpurians stranded in Imphal due to the ethnic violence, I was brutally attacked on my way back home at RIMS Road by the Meitei militia [Arambai Tenggol], resulting in severe injuries that have left me paralysed and handicapped till date. Despite the gravity of this incident, no special inquiry [CBI/NIA] has been initiated, and the community remains marginalised,” the letter said.

He added that the Zomi-Kuki-Hmar community had been driven out of the State capital Imphal and from the valley, leading to complete physical and social divide. “In light of this, I humbly request that a Separate Administration, preferably a Union Territory with a legislature under the Indian Constitution, be granted to the indigenous tribal community as mentioned above,” the letter said.

Mr. Valte had said that a separate administration would ensure justice, administrative convenience, and a lasting solution. He had said that his appeal aligned with the demands of the Kuki National Organisation and the United People’s Front, who are seeking a political solution through Suspension of Operations talks. “I urge you to consider this request at the highest level, as forced imposition of peace has proven unsustainable in Manipur’s history,” his letter said.

On the fateful day, when Mr. Valte was going to his official residence at Lamphelpat in Imphal, his car was stopped by a group of people wearing black clothes. He and his driver, Thanghoulal, also a Kuki-Zo, were taken to a community centre nearby and physically assaulted while his personal security officer, Elangbam Mapu, a Meitei, was let off. Based on Mapu’s complaint, a First Information Report was registered at the Imphal police station for attempt to murder and causing grievous hurt against “unknown persons”.