Remains of two missing Manipurese students found

 

Voice 9, New Delhi Bureau:  The Manipur government has said it will ensure "swift and decisive" action after pictures surfaced on social media about the recovered bodies of two Manipurese students, Hijam Linthoingambi (17) and Fizam Hemjit (20), who went missing in July. Central Bureau of Investigation Security forces have also launched a search operation to nab the culprits.

The incident has triggered widespread outrage across the country, with many questioning why the police took so long to settle the case. In July, the two students were seen on CCTV cameras installed in the shop but could not be traced. The Manipur government said in a statement that the case had already been handed over to the CBI as per the wishes of the people of the state.

The CBI had already started investigating the case, but the bodies of the students were yet to be found.

In the photo, two students from the Maitei community, Hijam Linthongambi, 17, and Fizam Hemjit, 20, are seen sitting in the grassy square of a makeshift jungle camp of an armed group. Fizam Hemjit (20) sits in the grassy courtyard of a makeshift jungle camp of an armed group. Linthoingambi is wearing a white T-shirt, while Hemjit is wearing a backpack and a checked shirt. The two gunmen are clearly seen behind them. In the next photo, their bodies are seen lying on the ground.

People with direct knowledge of the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said investigators could use advanced cyber forensic tools to further clean up the images and determine the identities of the two men visible in the background. "It has come to the attention of the state government that the photographs of the two students... have been missing since July 2023. Their pictures have been published on social media.

The state police, in collaboration with central security agencies, are actively investigating the case to determine the circumstances of their disappearance and identify the culprits who killed the two students.

There are several camps of around 25 Kuki rebel groups in the hills of Manipur that have signed tripartite suspension of operations (SOO) agreements with the Center, states, and army. The Kukis have accused the valley-based militias of attacking, while the Meiteis have accused the Kuki rebels of violating the SOO treaty by openly fighting with sophisticated weapons.

Ethnic violence between the hill-majority Kuki tribe and the valley-majority Meite began on May 3, following the Kukis' protests demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meiteis. More than 180 people have died, and thousands have been internally displaced.