Manipur violence: Several people involved in the abduction and murder of two youths in Manipur were arrested by CBI from Churachandpur on Sunday (October 1), Chief Minister N Biren Singh said while underlining that the government is committed to ensuring “maximum punishment”, including death penalty to the accused persons.
Violent protests had erupted in the northeastern state last week after the picture of the bodies of two Manipuri youths who had been missing for months went viral. The Chief Minister had assured action on the matter.
The four, including the wife of the main accused, were taken “outside the state” by a special flight, Singh said. Officials of the chief minister’s secretariat said two minor girls, aged 11 and 9 years, were detained in connection with the case but they were released later. The two are daughters of the main accused.
“I’m pleased to share that some of the main culprits responsible for the abduction and murder of Phijam Hemanjit and Hijam Linthoingambi have been arrested from Churachandpur today. As the saying goes, one may abscond after committing the crime, but they cannot escape the long hands of the law. We are committed to ensuring maximum punishment, including capital punishment, for the heinous crime they have committed,” Singh posted on X, formerly Twitter.
CM thanks NIA and other central agencies
The Chief Minister said that four people have been arrested and thanked the central investigating agencies and forces.
“In a major breakthrough today, we have arrested the main culprits responsible for the abduction and murder of two youths in the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had sent the Special Director of CBI along with some senior officers to Manipur and today with the support of the Indian Army, Paramilitary forces, Assam Rifles and State Police, we have arrested 4 accused from Churachandpur in this case. This is a huge achievement. I want to thank NIA, CBI and all Central forces…” he said.
The youths – a man and a girl, had gone missing on July 6. The pictures of their bodies surfaced on September 25.
Following this, violent protests by students rocked the state capital on September 26 and 27.
A mob tried to attack the ancestral house of the chief minister on the night of September 28, but security forces foiled the attempt.
More than 180 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
(With inputs from inputs)
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