Manipur violence: Photos show 2 missing Meitei students killed, government assures action

The Manipur government said it will ensure "swift and decisive" action after photos emerged on social media showing the bodies of two Meitei students who went missing in July.

The students were identified as 17-year-old Hijam Linthoingambi and 20-year-old Phijam Hemjit.

One of the pictures showed Linthoingambi and Hemjit sitting on a grassy compound while two armed men can be seen behind them. In another picture, their bodies are seen slumped on the ground.

After the pictures surfaced online, the government said it will take "swift and decisive action" against all those involved in the kidnapping and killing of the students. It appealed to the public to maintain calm and let the investigators do their job.

"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.

"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.

More than 180 people have lost their lives and thousands have been internally displaced since ethnic violence broke out between the hill-majority Kuki tribes and the valley-majority Meiteis on May 3, following a protest by the Kukis over the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status.