A Pastor Abducted and Beheaded in Manipur

In a rare and brutal incident, a pastor Pau Za Khen (62) from Myanmar border town was beheaded by an unidentified group of four kidnappers in Churachandpur town in Manipur state, northeast India.

"Four unknown men abducted Pastor Pau Za Khen in a car at around 5 p.m. on July 4. The next day at around 5 a.m. his beheaded body was discovered in the outskirts of the town," Min Thang told Khonumthung News from Churachandpur.

The body was taken to hospital for post modem and sent to Myanmar by car on July 5.

The killers are still at large. The police in Churachandpur have so far been unable to identify them, Min Thang added.

Visitors and traders from Myanmar to Manipur are shocked on hearing the pastor was beheaded because such a killing is rare.

The number of visitors and traders from Myanmar to Churachandpur in Manipur is roughly around 50 to 100 a day.

Pastor Pau Za Khen was a reverend of the Upper Myanmar Evangelical Lutheran Church. He served as a pastor in Khen Maan village in Cikha, sub–town, Tonzang Township in Chin state. He was also a chief of Khen Maan village.

The pastor used to come and trade in charcoal and wood in Churachandpur for his earnings.

He was killed while he was staying in Churahchandpur. He had come to see his nephew studying in Churachandpur.

Churachandpur is the headquarter of largest district in Manipur state in northeast India bordering Myanmar.