Curfew Imposed, Internet Suspended In Manipur Districts After Fresh Violence Over Recovery Of Six Bodies

The government has also suspended Internet services in seven districts in view of fresh violence over recovery of six bodies.

Guwahati: Indefinite curfew was imposed in Imphal East, Imphal West and Bishnupur districts of Manipur even as Internet services were suspended in seven districts on Saturday in view of fresh violence in capital Imphal after the bodies of six persons, kidnapped by militants were recovered in Jiribam.

The six who were abducted from Jiribam on Monday included three women and three children. While the three women aged between 61, 31 and 25 years the children aged eight years, 2.5 years and a eight months old baby. Police have not disclosed the names yet due to sensitivity of the issue.

The government has suspended Internet and broadband and VSAT services in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur districts for two days following large-scale violence which saw the houses of MLAs in Imphal being attacked by the angry mobs during protests against the kidnappings and killings.

The mobs are still moving on the streets of Imphal even as official sources said that the curfew is likely to be extended in other districts as well in a move to contain the law and order situation.

Recovery of six bodies flares up violence

Although the police in Manipur have remained tightlipped, it is believed that all the six persons who had remained missing since Monday were killed after being abducted by the militants. Manipur police shifted three of the bodies of the missing persons, including body of one woman and two children, to Silchar Medical College in Assam for post mortem on Friday late night.

The six people, believed to be from Meitei Community went missing from Borobekra area in Jiribam, where CRPF personnel engaged in an encounter with some armed militants and killed ten of them. The Kuki and Hmar groups have, however, claimed the ten were killed as 'village volunteers' and not as armed miscreants.

On Saturday the situation turned worst in Manipur capital Imphal with hundreds of people taking to streets to protest the killing of the six missing persons.

Hundreds of agitators including women attacked the houses of BJP MLAs in Imphal and resorted to vandalism. Among the houses attacked include the houses of BJP MLAs-- RK Imo Singh, L Susindro Meitei and Sapam Kunjakeswor Singh. The protestors also blocked roads by setting fire to tyres in Imphal.

Encounter and Killings

An encounter took place between the CRPF and suspected armed militants at Jakurhhor area in Jiribam that led to killing of ten armed militants by the CRPF. While the security forces recovered bodies of two elderly civilian persons from the area on Monday, six civilians including three women and three minor children have remained missing since then.

On Friday Manipur Police rushed an IG level officer and a DIG level officer to Jiribam and Borobekra area to supervise and coordinate the search operation to search and rescue the six missing persons.

The Police in Manipur have, however, refused to divulge anything over the development due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Police in Assam on Saturday said that Manipur police have brought three bodies to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post mortem on Friday night. It is believed the three dead bodies belonged to those who had gone missing from Jiribam on Monday. Assam police have also intensified security in and around the Silchar Medical college since late Friday night after the arrival of three bodies.

The Silchar Medical College in Assam had also been witnessing protests by groups of Kuki and Hmar communities since the last two days after the Manipur police brought the bodies of ten armed miscreants, who were killed during the gunfight with CRPF on Monday, for post mortem.

The family members of the ten deceased protested on Saturday afternoon in Silchar after the Manipur police rejected the demand of the family members to take the bodies back to Manipur by road and instead suggested airlifting the ten bodies to Churachandpur. The ten bodies were later flown to Churachandpur amid tight security.

Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), an umbrella body of several Kuki organizations, has said that the ten bodies will be kept at the Churachandpur district hospital as the authorities are yet to hand over the post mortem report to the families.