Imphal: Amid the stepped up protests against the reported killing of two Imphal students’ the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested four persons, including two women, in connection with the crime.
The major breakthrough followed a clinical operation launched at Kuki-Zo dominated Churachandpur district’s Henglep area, official sources said.
Initially six persons were arrested, but two are minor girls for which they were handed over to their relatives at Imphal airport.
The arrested four – Paominlun Haokip, S Malsawn Haokip, Lhingneichong Baite and Tinnuphing- were immediately rushed to the airport from where they were flown to Guwahati NIA office.
Chief minister N Biren Singh lauded the swift action taken by the CBI team, including army, paramilitary forces and the state police and arresting the culprits involved in the heinous crime in a short period of time.
At a media conference held at his office complex here, he reiterated the firm stance of his government to make sure that the culprits are given stringent punishment as per law.
Raising concern on disturbance caused to state police personnel by the public for their act in mob control, Biren reminded that the state forces, including Manipur Police, IRB and Manipur Rifles were the one fighting in the frontline against armed miscreants in the periphery areas.
“There was loss of lives of personnel of State force and many got injured,” he said , while appealing to the public to not have a negative view on state force, he said.
Biren said that the current violence is neither ethnic nor religious clash, but a war waged against the Indian Union by Kuki militants based in Myanmar and Bangladesh along with some militant groups of India.
This is evident after the NIA arrested one accused from Churachndpur in a case related to a transnational conspiracy by both the two foreign nations’ based leadership of terror outfits.
Standard XII students – Hijam Luwangbi Chanu and Phijam Hemanjit Singh of the Sagolband Tera area – have been missing since July 6.
Luwangbi was a student of TG Higher Secondary school, while Hemajit attended Kindergarden Montessori School at Takyel. Both schools are located in Imphal.
The two were seen riding a bike at Keishampat in Imphal city around 8.15am of July 6 and CCTV footage captured their last visuals in the bike at Nambol in Bishnipur district, sources said.
They suggested that Luwangbi’s mobile phone was last located in Kwakta, in Bishnupur bordering Kuki-Zo dominated Churachandpur district. Hemanjit’s phone is suspected to have been used by a man staying in Churachandpur.
Public protests erupted in Imphal valley after images of the two students and their purported dead bodies went viral on the social media.
