Thalassery, Kerala – May 19, 2025: In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the 2024 attack on the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) post in Manipur, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has apprehended a 21-year-old suspect, Rajkumar Mypaksana, from Thalassery, Kerala.
Rajkumar, a native of Imphal, Manipur, was arrested on May 16 while employed as housekeeping staff at a local hotel. NIA officials, operating under the guise of health department personnel conducting monsoon disease inspections, identified him through his Aadhaar card and a distinctive neck tattoo. The arrest followed several days of surveillance.
Sources indicate that Rajkumar is allegedly affiliated with a proscribed militant outfit and is linked to a case registered in Imphal concerning the ethnic unrest that has affected the state since last year. He reportedly cooperated with authorities upon realizing his identification. A fake passport was recovered from his possession, suggesting a failed attempt to travel abroad via Tirur.
The NIA's investigation revealed that Rajkumar arrived in Kerala last month after responding to a hotel job advertisement on social media. He moved across several districts before settling in a rented house in Thiruvangad, Thalassery. His fluency in Hindi and English facilitated his integration into the new job, where several other youths from Manipur were also employed.
The arrest is part of a broader NIA operation targeting individuals suspected of links to extremist outfits involved in the Manipur conflict. The agency has intensified efforts across states to track suspects hiding outside Manipur.
This development follows the NIA's recent arrests of two individuals associated with banned militant groups for their roles in the 2024 killing of a woman and the destruction of homes in Zairawn village, Jiribam district, Manipur.
The 2024 attack on the IRB post at Ima Kondong Lairembi, involving bombs and firearms, is registered under case RC-05-2024-NIA-IMP. The NIA continues its investigation into this and related incidents as part of efforts to address the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur
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