Trace remains of Linthoingambi, Hemanjit : Ranjit
Missing case of two echoes in House
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 07 2024: Congress MLA K Ranjit has stated that people will lose all faith in the Government and the CBI if they fail to locate the burial site of Hijam Linthoingambi and Phijam Hemanjit and hand over their remains of them to the bereaved families.

Raising a call attention motion under Rule no 77 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business pertaining to the failure of the Government to trace the remains of the two students in today's sitting of the ongoing Assembly session, K Ranjit continued that the two students were presumed dead after viral photos of them in captivity of Kuki militants and lying on the ground surfaced on social media on September 25 last year.

Trace remains of Linthoingambi, Hemanjit : Ranjit

The Opposition MLA said that he raised the motion based on the media reports published on the disappearance and the murder of the two students.

He further said that over 30 people have gone missing amid the unrest in Manipur and their whereabouts are still not known.

Saying that Linthoingambi and Hemanjit were presumed dead after pictures of the two students surfaced on social media on September 25, 2023 with one showing them in captivity and another showing them lying on the ground, the Congress MLA added that netizens and students erupted in protests after they learnt that the two students were killed mercilessly.

From which place were the two students abducted and where were they killed, he asked.

Many students were injured in one of the protests as police used brute force against them, K Ranjit reminded.

Continuing that the case is being investigated by the CBI and some accused were arrested on October 1 last year, the Congress leader asked what is the status of the investigation.

The case is going nowhere though charges were framed against the accused 7-8 months back, he rued.

Further stating that Lithoingambi and Hemanjit headed out from their homes at around 7.12 am on July 6 and different CCTv footages captured them heading towards Nambol on a bike, K Ranjit added that another CCTv footage showed them together at Bishnupur-Khoupum road at around 9.12 am of the same day.

The families of the two students lodged complaints with the police on time, he said.

Reminding that the photos of the two students emerged on September 25 and after seeing it people assumed they have been killed as one of the photos showed them lying on the ground, K Ranjit stated that the glance of Linthoingambi seen in one of the pictures pierced the hearts of countless people.

People and the bereaved families want to know which militant group killed the two students and how many of them were involved, he said and asked if the mobile phones of the two students and the bike of Hemanjit have been traced.

Maintaining that the families of the two students went from pillar to post and met the Governor, the Chief Minister and the Security Advisor and requested them to hand them whatever is left of their children to perform their funeral, K Ranjit reminded that the funeral of Hemanjit was performed recently using a tree plank 'Pangong' .

Responding to the call attention motion, Chief Minister N Biren Singh who is in-charge of Home said that many tragic incidents have taken place amid the unrest in Manipur and the case of Linthoingambi and Hemanjit is one of the saddest.

Saying that the Government handed over the case to CBI as involvement of Kuki terrorists is suspected, the Chief Minister added that six persons have been arrested in the course of the investigation.

Of the six arrested, two are minors, he said and added that the remaining four are in the custody of CBI.

The Chief Minister also said that the State Government is constantly in touch with the CBI.

Saying that the demands being raised by the families of Linthoingmabi and Hemanjit are understandable, N Biren said that the Government takes the case very seriously.

It may not be appropriate to discuss in detail the case which is under investigation by an investigative agency on the floor of the House, he maintained and added that the State Government, nonetheless, has been urging the CBI to trace the remains of the two students and hand them over to their families.

After listening to what the Chief Minister said, K Ranjit responded that the CBI may already know where the two students were buried as the CBI had framed charges against the accused 7-8 months back and had arrested one Paolunmang who is believed to be the mastermind behind the incident from Pune on October 14 last year.

Saying that people will lose all faith in the Government and the CBI if they could not trace even a piece of bones or clothes of the two students, he drew the attention of the Chief Minister and requested him to inform the members of the House about the status of the case.

To the query, the Chief Minister responded that the CBI had submitted their chargesheets and the investigative agency takes the case very seriously.

He also said that the State Government believes the CBI will surely unfold the truth behind the incident.