Guwahati: The Joint Action Committee in Jiribam that was formed in response to the killing of nine Meitei community members, including three women and three children, has decided to bring the bodies back to their respective villages in Manipur from Silchar in Assam for the last rites.
The convenor of the committee Y Sanjoy in a video message said that the bodies, which had been kept at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) for autopsy, would now be brought to Jiribam, where their family members would perform the last rites.
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Nine people had gone missing after a gunfight on November 11 between security forces and suspected Kuki-Zo insurgents which resulted in the deaths of 10 militants.
The following day, the charred remains of two elderly men were discovered amid the burnt rubble of torched houses and shops in Jiribam district’s Jakuradhor area.
In the next few days, the bodies of three women and three children, allegedly killed by suspected insurgents, were discovered floating in Jiribam’s Jiri river and Assam’s Barak river.
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Suspected Kuki-Zo militants allegedly abducted them from a relief camp in the Borobekra area of Jiribam.
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All the six bodies were brought to the SMCH for autopsy.
Intense mob violence erupted in Jiribam district and Imphal valley after the recovery of the bodies of the three women and children.
Meanwhile, a protester was also allegedly killed in firing by the security forces. His body was later taken to SMCH for a post-mortem examination.
The committee initially decided not to bring the bodies for the last rites until the Manipur government assured that action would be taken against the insurgents behind the killing of the nine persons.
It, however, decided to bring the bodies back for the last rites after the Manipur government referred the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further investigation.
The committee has also called for compensation for the families of the victims as well as government jobs for the relatives.
It has further demanded action against the Hmar village volunteers group that allegedly had threatened the Meitei community members, state police and the CRPF personnel before the attacks took place.