Joykumar raises posers on arrest in missing case
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 15 2023: Recalling how the CBI team swiftly arrested some individuals in connection with the murder of the two missing Meetei students, National People's Party (NPP) national vice-president Yumnam Joykumar opined that the arrests could be merely an attempt to cover up inability of the CBI to trace the bodies of the two students till date.

Addressing a press meet at the party's Naoremthong office, here, on Friday, former deputy chief minister Joykumar said that all the bodies lying in morgues have been handed over to their respective family members following a recent order of the Supreme Court and their last rites performed or planned in a later date.

However, there are several missing Meeteis including students and elderlies, who have been presumably killed by armed Kukis but their bodies are yet to be recovered.

After handing over the case of the two miss ing students from Tera, CBI arrested some individuals in connection with the abduc tion and presumed murder as could be comprehended from the viral photographs of their last moments in captivity.

Unfortunately, CBI has not been able to trace the bodies of the two students.

Similarly, police arrested an accused in connection with two missing youths from Lamsang but there is no progress in the investigation, he said while speculating that these arrests by the CBI and the police could be to pacify the angry public.

Both the agencies are certain to have extracted clues and leads that would lead to the recovery of the bodies by now if the arrested people are actually involved in the killings, the former DGP reasoned.

On the other hand, he said, NPP has been demanding adequate deployment of security along the two national highways connecting the state with the rest of the country.

On this front too, the government has failed to ensure free passage to the transporters.

At the same time, the condition of NH 37 is in very bad shape and the total shutdown along the highway demanding repairing has stranded trucks in New Keithelmanbi area.

NHIDCL has not make any progress in the highway project and the state government is also turning a blind eye to the situation.

The highway passes through Sagolband, Patsoi and Konthoujam assembly constituencies, which have ruling MLAs and minister, but it seems the MLAs are not interested in mitigating suffering of the people, he maintained.

Joykumar contended that even if the project is being implemented under the NHIDCL, the state's works department could oversee execution of the road project and establish regular communication with the ministry to avoid stalling of the project.

Similarly, the state government needs to monitor the central project of Imphal-Ukhrul highway development.

Keeping in view of the prevailing situation in the state, the government also needs to develop Imphal-Ukhrul-Jessami and Imphal-Ukhrul-Mao roads as alternative lifelines.

With the two main lifelines of the state closed or risky for travelling, people in the valley are forced to opt air travel for visiting another state for any reason including medical treatment, education or sports, irrespective of their financial position.

The government should understand the hardships being faced by the people and take up necessary measures to secure both the highways, he elaborated.

Joykumar also expressed concern over the transfer of all projects to Manipur Police Housing Corporation (MPHC) by the PWD and said that transferring infrastructure projects to other agencies has made the department penniless.

Pointing out that the department has many engineers, he drew attention of the works minister to pursue with the ministry for getting some projects on its own so that the department could generate some revenue from the infrastructure projects in the form of agency charge.

Observing that the economic condition of the state has been affected severely, Joykumar demanded the government to make public its policy to derive revenue from liquor legalisation and be impartial in granting license.

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