October 2, 2023
NEW DELHI – Ajoint team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Manipur Police have arrested four persons and detained two minors in connection with the killing of two Meitei students which triggered fresh violence in the northeastern state.
The two students, reportedly lovers, went missing in early July this year and killed by Kuki tribe people. However, the pictures of their bodies went viral recently triggering massive outrage and protests by students and people from Meitei tribe.
Terming the killings “heinous crime”, Chief Minister N Biren Singh took to social media to announce the development and assured that his government is committed to ensuring capital punishment for the culprits.
“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,” CM Biren Singh posted on X.
“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,” the CM announced.
Disturbing images of the Manipur students had gone viral on social media last week when internet services were resumed. One image depicted the missing students seated in a grassy area with two armed individuals standing behind them, while another image showed their lifeless bodies.
In response to the incident, mobile internet services have been temporarily suspended in Manipur to curb the spread of misinformation and fake news. Students clashed with police as they protested the killings.
Hundreds of protesters last week targeted CM Biren Singh’s ancestral home but they were stopped a few meters away by security personnel. Singh and his family members were not there as they lived in a high security residence in the middle of Imphal city.