Violence in Kakwa Escalates After Tear Gas Incident Leads to Stillborn Delivery

Kakwa — The town of Kakwa is gripped by protests following a tragic incident involving 34-year-old Naorem Sanjita, who delivered a stillborn baby on September 14 after inhaling tear gas deployed during a violent student protest. Sanjita, nine months pregnant, was critically injured when tear gas shells were fired near her home on September 10. She remains on ventilator support at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), where doctors performed an emergency procedure to remove the stillborn fetus.

The tragedy has sparked widespread outrage. On September 14, Sanjita’s husband, Naorem Deepak, and local residents gathered at the Singjamei Police Station, demanding accountability from the authorities. The protest grew intense as demonstrators blocked efforts to transfer the baby’s body to the mortuary, accusing the police of mishandling the situation.

By the evening, tensions escalated, with security forces deploying tear gas and mock bombs to control the increasingly hostile crowd, which had attempted to storm the police station. Despite the use of force, no casualties were reported.

RIMS clarified that while Sanjita remains in critical condition, she is alive and receiving treatment. The loss of her child has deepened the community’s grief and intensified demands for justice. Protesters continue to express their anger over the handling of the protest and the subsequent police response, fueling ongoing unrest in Kakwa.