Manipur Violence: 4 Arrested, 2 Detained For Killing 2 Students; Flown To Assam For Investigation

• Image Credit: Google

• Oct 1, 2023 | Dhupali Das

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four people and detained two others in connection with the horrific deaths of...

Digital Desk: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four people and detained two others in connection with the horrific deaths of two students in Manipur in July, whose photos surfaced on social media last week.

Apart from the two girls detained in the state capital Imphal, the four include two men and two women. The four have been flown to Guwahati in Assam.

In addition to the two girls, the other accused have been identified as Paominlun Haokip, Malsawn Haokip, Lhingneichong Baite, and Tinneikhol. People with direct knowledge of the matter said Lhingneichong Baite was a friend of the girl student who was murdered.

The suspects were captured by police and the army in a joint operation in the hill district of Churachandpur, 51 kilometers from Imphal, where ethnic violence erupted on May 3. This hill district is home to several Kuki insurgent groups that signed the tripartite suspension of operations (SoO) agreement. 

After apprehending them, the forces took them to the airport, where a CBI team waited for them. The CBI team and the suspects boarded the last flight out of Imphal at around 5:45 p.m.

According to reports, after learning of the arrests, some people attempted to move towards the airport.

"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 crimes they have committed," Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Singh told reporters today that terrorists from Myanmar and Bangladesh have joined forces with some Kuki rebel groups to exploit the Manipur problem and that the continuing fighting is between the terrorists and the state.

The National Investigation Agency arrested a terror suspect from Churachandpur yesterday in a transnational conspiracy case involving terrorist leaders from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

On September 26, images of the remains of the two students who went missing in July surfaced on social media, prompting the Manipur government to promise speedy action.

The CBI has already begun investigating this case, albeit the bodies of the two students, both minors, have yet to be found. Reportedly, investigators are also investigating allegations of rape before the child was murdered.

The photos show the two students, both 17 years old, seated in the grassy compound of what looks to be an armed group's improvised jungle camp.