IMPHAL: The last rites of Sepoy Serto Thangthang Kom, the Indian Army soldier who was abducted and killed by unknown miscreants in Manipur last week, were performed at his ancestral village Litan in Chandel district on Tuesday.
The funeral was conducted with full military honors and was attended by the family members, a large number of villagers, and officers of the Army, Assam Rifles, and District administration.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has announced that a government job will be provided to the next of kin of the slain soldier.
He has also assured that a judicial inquiry will be launched into the killing, and that adequate security personnel will be deployed at villages inhabited by smaller tribes such as Kom, Chiru, Aimol, and Koireng.
The Chief Minister’s announcement comes after a series of sit-in protests were held in Neikanlong and Happy Valley areas in Imphal West district by people from over 15 tribes, demanding justice for Sepoy Kom and protection for the Kom people.
Several tribal outfits, including the Komrem Union, Northeast India (NEI), have also condemned the killing and appealed to the people of Manipur to protect the Kom people.
Sepoy Kom is survived by his wife, a daughter, and a son.