Manipur Violence: The Manipur government stated today that it will take “swift and decisive” action after photographs of the bodies of two students who went missing in July surfaced on social media. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the matter, but the bodies of the two students, one of whom is a kid, have yet to be discovered. According to NDTV, investigators are also investigating into rape accusations before to the minor’s murder.
Disturbing Details of the Photographs Revealing Missing Students
The photographs show two students, a 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old male, seated on the grassy property of what looks to be an armed group’s temporary jungle camp. The girl is dressed in a white t-shirt, while the man, who is holding a rucksack and wearing a checked shirt, stands nearby. Two men with rifles can be seen behind them. Their bodies are collapsed on the ground in the following photograph.
Missing Students’ Last Known Location and Lingering Questions
The two were last spotted in the area of Bishnupur, 35 kilometres from Churachandpur. The students were allegedly kidnapped and brought to Churachandpur by armed miscreants from a region between these two districts. The case has aroused widespread resentment across the country, with many wondering why it took so long for the authorities to solve it. The two students were observed in CCTV cameras put in stores in July, but they could not be identified. Investigators are likely to employ modern cyber forensics methods to clean up the photographs and discover the identity of the two guys visible in the background, according to persons with direct knowledge of the situation who asked to remain anonymous.
State Government Acknowledges Social Media Discovery in Missing Students Case
“It has come to the notice of the state government that the photos of two students… who have been missing since July 2023 have surfaced on social media. It may be noted that this case has already been handed over to the CBI as per the wishes of the people of the state,” the Manipur government said in a statement today.
Government’s Determined Response
“State police, in collaboration with the central security agencies, are actively investigating the case to determine the circumstances surrounding their disappearance and to identify the perpetrators who murdered the two students. The security forces have also started the search operation to nab the perpetrators,” the government said. The government has stated that it will take “swift and decisive action” against all those implicated in the students’ kidnapping and murder. It urged the people to be calm and allow the investigators do their work.
Ethnic Tensions and Violence Add Complexity to the Region
Manipur’s hills are home to 25 Kuki rebel factions that have signed a tripartite suspension of operations (SoO) deal with the centre, state, and military. The Kukis accuse valley-based militias of targeting them, while the Meiteis accuse the Kuki insurgents of breaching the SoO agreement by openly fighting with modern weapons. Ethnic violence erupted on May 3 between the hill-majority Kuki tribes and the valley-majority Meiteis in response to the Kukis’ protest over the Meiteis’ quest for Scheduled Tribes (ST) designation. Over 180 people have been killed, and hundreds have been internally displaced.
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