Feb 21, 2026 (NEW DEL): The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has expressed its deep shock and strongest condemnation over the cowardly attack on Khoiram Loyalakpa, Editor-in-Chief of the Manipuri vernacular daily Naharolgi Thoudang and President of the Manipur Hockey Association.
On the night of Wednesday, February 18, 2026, around 10:00 pm, armed miscreants intercepted Mr. Loyalakpa’s vehicle near the Hatta War Cemetery in Imphal East. The assailants fired at least two rounds at his car before dragging him out and physically assaulting him with blunt objects, causing serious injuries to his face and teeth.
Loyalakpa was rushed to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) for treatment. In a joint statement, IJU President Geetartha Pathak and IJU Secretary General Vinod Kohli termed the incident a “calculated attempt to muzzle the free press” in Manipur.
“The brutal assault on a senior editor like Khoiram Loyalakpa is not just an attack on an individual but a direct strike on the freedom of the fourth estate,” said IJU President Geetartha Pathak.
“It is alarming that journalists in Manipur continue to be targeted by armed elements with such impunity. We demand that the state government conduct an intensive, time-bound inquiry to identify the perpetrators and bring them to book immediately,” IJU Secretary General Vinod Kohli said, expressing concern over the deteriorating safety standards for media professionals in the region.
“The IJU stands in complete solidarity with the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and the Editors’ Guild of Manipur (EGM) in their protest against this heinous act,” Vinod Kohli stated. “We call upon the newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Manipur, Shri Yumnam Khemchand Singh, to take personal cognisance of this matter. The government must ensure a secure environment where journalists can perform their duties without fear of bullets or physical intimidation. Silence or delay from the administration will only embolden such lawless elements.”
The IJU further noted that this is not the first time Mr. Loyalakpa has been targeted, following a previous attack on his residence in 2024. The Union urged the Manipur state police to expedite the investigation into the FIR registered at Porompat Police Station and ensure that the “armed miscreants” behind the ambush do not escape the clutches of the law.
