Fresh violence in Manipur, 4 killed in Bishnupur on Wednesday

At least three people were killed and one more is feared to be dead in the fresh spate of violence in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Wednesday. Bodies of three people including a man and his son were recovered by police on Thursday near the foothills of Churachandpur after hours of search operation. Four people from the village had reportedly gone to the forested area for a wood fire on Wednesday and hadn’t returned home. Villagers had reported to the local police station about the missing persons and a joint Army and Manipur police team had launched a search operation on Wednesday evening itself. The deceased had multiple gunshots on their bodies, one of them also had his throat slit, claimed police.

Bodies of Ibomcha Singh (51), his son Anand (20), and neighbour Romen Singh (38) were found around 10.30 am at Wangoo Sabal Maning Ching Meichakpo in Churachandpur, close to a Mahar regiment military post. The fourth person who is still missing is identified as Ahanthem Dara (56). “The fourth person is also feared to have been killed and maybe the body has been kept in captivity. The search operation is on”, claimed a police official.

Meanwhile, unidentified armed militants have released a video where three people wielding guns could be seen. The video shot in local language and released with subtitles suggests the group taking responsibility for the killing. The men in the video are confirmed to have killed all four people. The authenticity of the video hasn’t been confirmed by the police as yet. The men in the video could be seen and heard celebrating the killings.

“They have killed my family. How can someone be this cruel? My husband, and my son both have been killed so brutally. I will not accept their bodies till the culprits are caught. Such an incident has happened so close to the army post. This is state government’s failure” said Thoudam Bicha, wife of Ibomcha Singh.

Manipur has been reeling under wide-scale violence since May last year, claiming more than 200 lives so far and leaving behind more than 60,000 displaced. This fresh incident of violence comes days before Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is slated to start his Manipur to Mumbai “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra”, the second installment of Bharat Jodo Yatra.