Imphal, June 11: Six bodies believed to be those of villagers abducted from Manipur’s Kangpokpi district last month were recovered on Wednesday, triggering fresh tensions in the state and drawing strong condemnation from Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
According to an official statement, the deceased are believed to be among six persons who were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village in Kangpokpi district on May 13.
The bodies were recovered following a large-scale search operation involving around 450 personnel from the Manipur Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Assam Rifles. Sniffer dogs and forensic teams also assisted in the operation.
Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh extended his condolences to the bereaved families and strongly denounced the killings.
“The government will not tolerate such violence and will not remain a mute spectator to these atrocities. Those responsible for the murders will be arrested and punished as per law,” the chief minister said in the statement.
The recovery came a day after 14 Kuki individuals, who had allegedly been abducted by armed groups in Manipur’s Senapati district nearly a month ago, were released.
The state government has handed over the investigation into the abduction and killings to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The bodies were brought to the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal at around 2 am on Wednesday. Tension prevailed at the hospital premises, where security forces reportedly used tear gas shells to disperse protesters following incidents of minor damage to hospital property.
Meanwhile, the United Naga Council condemned the killings and demanded that the Centre declare the Kuki National Front-President faction (KNF-P) a terrorist organisation, alleging its involvement in the incident.
The council also sought the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Thongam Satyabrata Singh, alleging links between his family and the KNF-P leadership. No official response to the allegation had been issued at the time of reporting.
Security has been strengthened in the affected areas as authorities continue to monitor the situation amid renewed concerns over law and order in the state.
