The post-mortem of five bodies, including women and children, recovered from rivers in Manipur and Assam has been completed. These individuals, reportedly abducted by Kuki-Zo militants, were part of a group missing since November 11.
Imphal:The post-mortem examination of five bodies, recovered from rivers in Manipur’s Jiribam district and Assam’s Cachar, has been completed at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), sources confirmed on Monday. These individuals were part of a group of six people, including three women and children, from the Meitei community who went missing on November 11. The victims were allegedly abducted by Kuki-Zo militants from a relief camp in Jiribam’s Borobekra area.The bodies, which were discovered in a highly decomposed state, were retrieved from the Jiri River in Jiribam and the Barak River in Cachar over the past few days. Despite the deteriorated condition of the remains, the post-mortem process has now been completed, with reports currently being prepared by medical authorities.According to sources, Manipur Police will soon arrange for the bodies to be returned to their families, though the timeline for this is not yet confirmed. As of now, five of the six missing individuals have been accounted for, while search efforts continue to locate the sixth person.A senior official from Assam Police reported that search operations are ongoing along the Barak River in Cachar to find the remaining individual. Authorities believe the victims were killed and their bodies disposed of in the river. The bodies of two of the victims were found floating in the rivers on separate days—one group in Jiribam and another in Cachar.The six missing individuals have been identified as Yurembam Rani (60), Telem Thoibi Devi (31) and her daughter Telem Thajamanbi Devi (8), Laishram Heithoibi Devi (25), and her two children Laishram Chingkheinganba Singh (2) and Lamngaba Sing (8 months).In response to the tragic events, hundreds of Meitei community members gathered for a candlelight vigil in Silchar on Sunday evening to protest the abductions and the suspected killings.The region, which has been experiencing growing tensions amid the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups, has seen heightened security measures, including continuous patrolling along the volatile border areas. Since May 2023, ethnic violence has claimed over 220 lives and displaced thousands in Manipur, and the unrest has now extended into areas like Jiribam and its surrounding districts.
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