LSF seeks trial in fast track Court
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 07 2023: Lukmai Sellup Foundation, Khwairam-band Keithel has written to the National Commission for Women seeking trial of the case related to the murder of two missing students in a Fast Track Court.

Lukmai Sellup Foundation sent a letter to the NCW yesterday seeking trial of the cold blooded murder case in a Fast Track Court, said Asem Nirmala.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club, Imphal today, LSF secretary Asem Nirmala said the murder case of the two missing students, Hijam Linthoi- ngambi and Phijam Hemanjit, is one of the most heinous crimes that have taken place in Manipur amid the more than 5 month long crisis.

Hijam Linthoingambi was only a 17-year-old girl while Phijam Hemanjit was 20.Both the students went missing on July 6 and they were suspected to have been killed on July 8, according to a time stamp on photographs of the two that surfaced on September 25 .

Asem Nirmala said the foundation wrote to the National Commission for Women (NCW) for it to take notice of the crime.

While the NCW had taken a suo-moto case regarding the parading of two women nude by a group of mob, the same statutory body and other such commissions including the Manipur State Commission for Women have not yet taken notice of the cold blooded murder of Hijam Linthoingambi and Phijam Hemanjit, which is sad and very unfortunate, said Asem Nirmala.

Hijam Linthoingambi and Phijam Hemanjit were not informants or involved in the conflict between communities.

The two were innocent students who had been killed mercilessly in captivity by armed men, she said.

Presenting the circumstances leading to the disappearance of the two students, Lukmai Sellup Foundation's letter to the NCW said Hijam Linthoingambi had attended a private tuition in Imphal before she went missing with Phijam Hemanjit.

After the two students went missing, their mobile phones were traced at Lamdan under Loktak police station, and Phijam Hemanjit's handset was found used by a person after changing the SIM card.

The letter to the NCW mentions that in the midst of the ongoing ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki, both the parents of the boy and girl were informed by a highly reliable source that their children had been taken to Joujangtek Kuki village and subsequently killed and buried.

It may be noted here that a day after the photographs of the two students alive in captivity of armed Kuki men and their bodies lying on the ground surfaced on social media on September 25, security forces had carried out a search operation at Zoujangtek under Khoupum sub-division.

While the search didn't yield any result, days later, security forces were successful in apprehending four persons including two women in connection with the case.

The four persons were arrested by the CBI and taken to Guwahati.

The arrested persons were identified as Paominlun Haokip, S Malsawn Haokip, Lhingneichong Baite and Tinneikhol.

Meanwhile, the letter of the Lukmai Sellup Foundation said the body (NCW) being a statutory body possess enormous authority and power to expedite and monitor the investigation that is being handled by the CBI by calling for periodic progress reports of the investigation.

Since this is a brutal case related to a minor girl, the National Commission for Women should initiate due process of trial under a Fast Track Court so as to deliver justice to the departed soul and the bereaved family as fast as possible, said the foundation.

It stressed that as the bodies of the two students have not been traced and recovered, their families are unable to perform their last rites.

Comment