Recovered bodies confirmed as kidnapped victims
Source: Chronicle News Service
Jiribam, November 16 2024:
Out of six persons kidnapped by Kuki militants during the incident in Borobekra sub-division on November 11, identities of three of the bodies recovered near Jiri Mukh on Friday have been confirmed As per reports received by media and as published in various dailies, three more bodies were found on Saturday morning, which is yet to be officially confirmed.
However, Jiribam Police only confirmed recovery of three bodies including two children on Friday and has not confirmed the recovery of the remaining three.
The bodies of two children and one woman recovered on Friday and kept at Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Assam was verified by Telem Utam on Saturday for conducting of post-mortem.
As per sources, three persons verified by T Utam are his wife T Thoibi (30), daughter T Thajanganbi (8) and eight-month old Laishram Lanngamba with their bodies being in highly decomposed state.
The three persons whose whereabouts remain unknown and suspected to be dead are Yurembam Rani Devi (66) and her daughter Laishram Heitombi Devi (25) and Heitombi's two years and five months old son Laishram Chingkheinganba.
Meanwhile, Kuki- Zo -Hmar people clashed with Assam Police on Saturday when the former tried to forcefully take the 11 bodies of armed militants kept at Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem after they were killed in a gunfight with CRPF in the Borobekra incident on November 11 .
The tussle led to stone pelting by the Kuki people with police resorting to baton charge After talks were held with Assam Police DIG and SP with the Kuki-Zo-Hmar people to deescalate the situation, the bodies were handed over to them Meanwhile, a NDTV report quote top government sources confirming recovery of three more bodies, taking the total to six, though the three bodies are yet to be brought to SMCH, and also yet to be identified.
Laishram Herojit, a low-level worker in the state government, whose two children, wife, mother-in-law and wife's sister were among the hostages, told NDTV on Saturday morning that he is yet to see the bodies.
The morgue is at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), some 50 km from Jiribam.
The first three bodies were brought to the morgue at 7 pm on Friday, sources said, adding autopsies of bodies found in Jiribam are done in SMCH due to lack of proper infrastructure in the town.
The women and children were taken hostage by a group of Kuki militants from Jiribam's Bokobera sub-division areas while another group of militants were engaged in a gunfight with the CRPF.
A report published in Barak Bulletin also said that the bodies of three more Meetei individuals have been recovered from the Barak River upstream near Jirimukh in Jiribam.
This confirms that all six abducted Meetei, including an eight-month-old child, have been brutally killed, the report said.
Locals believe the bodies were dumped in the river to send a chilling message high-lighting the brutal killings.
Three bodies were brought to SMCH at around 9:00 pm last night and then another three were brought in the wee hours of Saturday SMCH, now under heavy security, has become the focal point of grief and anger as families await the formal identification of the victims.
Meanwhile, the situation remains tense, with the Hmar and Meitei communities in Assam's Cachar district on edge Security forces continue to monitor the region to prevent any violence, Barak Bulletin reported.
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