The main accused in the kidnapping and murder of two Manipur students that sparked violent protests, have been arrested, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said.
Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday said some of the main culprits involved in kidnapping and brutal killing of two teenagers, which sparked violent protests in the northeastern state last week, have been arrested.
“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,” the Chief Minister said, adding that his government will ensure the maximum punishment, including the death penalty, for the accused.
“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,” N Biren Singh wrote on X.
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…
— N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) October 1, 2023
Fresh protests
On Tuesday, massive protests by student groups erupted in Manipur capital Imphal against the kidnapping and killing of two students. The protests were triggered after visuals of the slain students’ bodies surfaced on social media platforms.
The two youths, a man and a girl, had gone missing on July 6. Photos of their bodies surfaced on September 25.
At least 46 protesters sustained injuries as the protesting students clashed with the police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel on Tuesday. Reports said the protesters blocked the Indo-Myanmar highway with wooden logs and felled electricity poles and also burned tyres on the roads.
Police and other law enforcement agencies responded by firing live bullets and tear smoke shells to disperse the raging protesters who resorted to stone throwing as the protests turned violent.
A mob tried to attack the ancestral house of the chief minister on the night of September 28, but security forces foiled the attempt.
Another mob also vandalised the deputy commissioner’s office in Imphal West district and torched two four-wheelers in the early hours of the same day.
On Wednesday, an irate mob set afire a local party office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Thoubal district of Manipur.
AFSPA extended
Last week, the Manipur government declared the entire northeastern state as a ‘Disturbed Area’ barring areas falling under the jurisdiction of 19 specific police stations even as the stringent Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was extended for 6 more months.
“Governor of Manipur hereby accords approval to declare the entire state of Manipur excluding the areas falling under the jurisdiction of 19 police stations…as ‘Disturbed Area’ for a period of six months with effect from October 1, 2023,” an official notification issued today stated.
19 Police Stations exempted
The 19 police stations mainly comprising areas in the Imphal valley have been kept out of the purview of the Disturbed Areas Act, These are Imphal, Lamphel, City, Singjamei, Sekmai, Lamsang, Pastol, Wangoi, Porompat, Heingagng, Lamlai, Iribung, Leimakhong, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Nambol, Moirang, Kakchin and Jirbam.
As per the notification the “violent activities of various extremist/insurgent groups warrant the use of the Armed Forces in aid of civil administration in the entire state of Manipur and in view of the overall law and order situation in the state and the capability of the state machinery, the state government has decided to maintain the status quo on the present disturbed area status.”
The Manipur violence
More than 175 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal valley, while tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.
(With PTI inputs)