Leo's body claimed; accused duo remanded to police custody
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 07 2025: The body of Meitei Salai Thiyam alias Leo (21), s/o Th Karuna of Govindajee Road Palace Compound, who was fatally stabbed at Thanga Khunjem under Keibul police station on Sunday, was claimed by family members from RIMS morgue after conduct of post mortem examination on Monday.

Meanwhile, the accused persons namely, Loitongbam Pinky Devi (20), d/o (L) Nilamani of Kwakeithel Konjeng Leikai and her male companion Leishangthem Lanchenba Singh (20), s/o (L) Loken of Hiyangthang Makha Leikai, were produced before the court of Bishnupur CJM on Monday, which remanded them to police custody for eight days for further questioning.

Speaking to the newspersons at RIMS morgue on Monday, Leo's girlfriend of four years, Laishram Guriya (21), d/o Deben of Liwa Lambi Oinam Leikai, informed that she, Leo and Loitongbam Pinky had been friends since they were in Class IX.

However, Pinky and Leo had been arguing with each other for some time due to some past events which evolved into insulting each other's parents.

She (Guriya) had been trying to mediate between the two but was unsuccessful.

Later, they agreed to sort out the misunderstandings and reconciled.

On Sunday, both Leo and Guriya along with two other friends, Yumlembam Kelvin and Taibanganbi Lamabam, decided to hang out ahead of Kelvin's departure to Bangalore for his masters' studies.

As Pinky had also agreed to sort out all issues, it was decided to deal with the matter during their travel to Thanga on Sunday, instead of her (Pinky) locality.

Guriya recalled that after arriving at the location, she and Pinky were the first to talk.

However, Pinky started arguing.

Then Pinky's alleged boyfriend Lanchenba and Leo started arguing.

Kelvin, Taibanganbi and she (Guriya) were trying to stop the fight when she realised Pinky was not helping.

When she turned, she saw Pinky stabbing Leo with a knife.

She further recounted that she brought Leo out from the location on a two wheeler.

However, they slipped near a culvert.

Lanchenba and Pinky had chased them and when Lanchenba ran up close, she (Guriya) pushed him away.

Both Lanchenba and Pinky left the scene after hurling some verbal insults.

Meanwhile, Kelvin and Taibanganbi caught up with them and Kelvin took Leo away.

When she caught up, Leo was undergoing treatment at Moirang Hospital.

However, Leo's condition got serious and he was taken to Imphal via an ambulance.

Clarifying that Pinky and Leo are not in a romantic relationship but were normal friends, Guriya condemned the rumours circulating, stating that it is disrespectful to make up lies and defame someone who is dead.

On the other hand, Leo's mother Karuna said that her son was killed without any mercy.

She urged all those who went with her son to be questioned.

She also urged the government to look into the matter and give justice to her son.

Meanwhile, with regard to a viral video circulating on social media platforms of a crowd surrounding an injured Leo instead of rushing him to a nearest hospital, police have reportedly begun questioning the people seen in the video one-by-one along with all those who were with Leo as part of the investigations.

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