NIA arrests two more accused in armed ambush on ex-Manipur CM Biren Singh's convoy
Synopsis
The NIA has arrested a fourth and fifth suspect across two separate Manipur violence cases — two more accused in the June 2024 armed ambush on ex-CM N. Biren Singh's convoy, and one in the April 2026 Bishnupur IED blast that killed two children. Both cases point to organised, networked violence in a state still gripped by ethnic conflict.
Key Takeaways
The NIA arrested Jangminlun Singson alias Franky (44) and Thangjoel Haokip alias Thangboi (21) on 29 September 2026 — the third and fourth accused in the Biren Singh convoy ambush case .
The armed attack occurred on 10 June 2024 on National Highway-37 near K.
Sinam Village, Kangpokpi District , injuring two security personnel and damaging government vehicles.
Both accused are residents of Churachandpur district and were remanded to 8 days of police custody by the Special NIA Court in Thoubal .
In a separate case, the NIA arrested Thangmang Haokip (48) for the 7 April 2026 IED blast in Bishnupur District that killed two minor children .
Further investigation is ongoing in both cases to identify remaining suspects and establish the full extent of each conspiracy.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, arrested two more accused in connection with the armed ambush on the convoy of former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, taking the total number of arrests in the case to four. The suspects were apprehended as part of an ongoing effort to dismantle the larger conspiracy behind the June 2024 attack on National Highway-37 in Kangpokpi District, Manipur.
Who Was Arrested
The two newly arrested accused have been identified as Jangminlun Singson alias Franky (44) and Thangjoel Haokip alias Thangboi (21), both residents of Churachandpur district. According to an NIA statement, they are the third and fourth accused to be arrested in the case. Both were produced before the Special Court, Manipur (for NIA cases) in Thoubal, which remanded them to eight days of police custody.
What the Attack Involved
The incident took place on 10 June 2024, when unknown armed assailants ambushed the convoy of the then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on National Highway-37 near K. Sinam Village in Kangpokpi District. The attack caused grievous injuries to two security personnel and significant damage to government vehicles. The case was originally registered as an FIR at New Keithelmanbi Police Station and was subsequently re-registered by the NIA on 11 July 2024.
Prior Arrests and Conspiracy Links
Investigators say the two accused were involved in the planning and facilitation of the ambush, acting in association with other accused persons. Notably, both had earlier been arrested by the NIA in a separate case, and their arrest in the present matter is part of an effort to unravel what the agency describes as a broader conspiracy. Investigation is continuing to establish the specific roles of all accused and to identify and apprehend remaining suspects.
Separate NIA Arrest in Bishnupur IED Case
In a parallel development, the NIA also arrested Thangmang Haokip (48), a resident of Churachandpur, in connection with an IED blast at a residential house in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai, Bishnupur District, on 7 April 2026, in which two minor children were killed and their mother was injured. Thangmang Haokip is the second accused to be arrested in that case, following S. Palal Thadou Kuki, who was arrested on 12 August 2026 and is currently in judicial custody.
What Comes Next
The NIA has indicated that further investigation is underway in both cases to ascertain the specific roles of each accused, map their linkages within the alleged conspiracies, and apprehend remaining suspects. The fresh arrests signal that the agency is actively pursuing the network behind the targeted attacks in ethnically volatile Manipur, where armed violence has persisted since communal clashes erupted in May 2023.
Point of View
With more likely — underscores that the attack was not an opportunistic act but an organised operation with advance planning. What mainstream coverage misses is the double-arrest pattern: both men were already in NIA custody for a separate case, suggesting a web of operatives rotating across multiple incidents of targeted violence in Manipur. The simultaneous Bishnupur IED arrest, where two children died, adds urgency to the question of whether a coordinated militant network is actively exploiting the state's ongoing ethnic fault lines. As long as the broader political impasse in Manipur remains unresolved, investigators will likely keep pulling threads from the same spool.
NationPress
30 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did the NIA arrest in the Biren Singh convoy ambush case?
The NIA arrested Jangminlun Singson alias Franky (44) and Thangjoel Haokip alias Thangboi (21) , both residents of Churachandpur district, on 29 September 2026. They are the third and fourth accused to be arrested in the case relating to the armed ambush on former Manipur CM N. Biren Singh's convoy.
When and where did the convoy ambush on N. Biren Singh take place?
The ambush occurred on 10 June 2024 on National Highway-37 near K. Sinam Village in Kangpokpi District, Manipur . Armed assailants attacked the convoy, causing grievous injuries to two security personnel and damaging government vehicles.
What is the current status of the NIA investigation?
The two newly arrested accused have been remanded to eight days of police custody by the Special NIA Court in Thoubal. The NIA says further investigation is ongoing to determine specific roles, map links within the alleged conspiracy, and apprehend remaining suspects.
Who was arrested in the separate Bishnupur IED blast case?
Thangmang Haokip (48) , a resident of Churachandpur, was arrested as the second accused in the case involving an IED explosion at a residential house in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai, Bishnupur District , on 7 April 2026 , which killed two minor children and injured their mother.
Were the arrested accused previously known to the NIA?
Yes. Both Jangminlun Singson and Thangjoel Haokip had previously been arrested by the NIA in a separate case. Their arrest in the convoy ambush case is part of efforts to unravel what investigators describe as a larger organised conspiracy.
