Imphal, February 18 2009: The valiant never taste of death but once.

It's impossible to count how many times he had interpreted these lines for his students.

But never perhaps had he imagined that these immortal quotes of Julius Caeser would be apt to describe his end.

Thingnam Kishan Singh could have continued leading a happy and peaceful life on college and university campuses teaching William Shakespeare.

Instead, he chose to become a Manipur Civil Service officer and, eventually, paid the heaviest possible price.

On Tuesday, his body, along with two others', was found lying in an isolated place with marks of bloody bruises and deep cuts all over.

A topper in English, both in the graduation and post-graduation levels, from Jamia Millia Islamia University, Kishan began his career as a lecturer with Shyamlal College in East Delhi.

He returned to Imphal to serve the prestigious D M College of Arts.

Later, he joined the Manipur University as an assistant professor of English.

But, destiny had something else in store for him.

He cleared the Manipur Public Service Commission examinations two years ago and started serving his strife-torn home state as a sub-divisional officer (SDO) .

"I am shocked by the news of his murder.

He was an honest man brave enough to talk about his likes and dislikes openly," said Dhiren Sadokpam, a guest faculty of Jamia Milllia Islamia University.

Dhiren, who studied along with Kishan at the university, said the officer had even edited a journal, "Alternative Frames", while working in college.

Recalling the days he once spent with Kishan in New Delhi, Rajesh Thangjam, a Jet Airways manager in Guwahati, said, "I can't believe he is murdered.

He was always a bright, upright person," he told TOI.

Thoubal SDPO Jogesh Singh, who knew Kishan as a colleague, said, "My friend came from the academic background and knew the problems of Manipur very well.

He was trying to improve the condition of people living in the remote villages of Kasom Kullen." It was his love for Manipur that brought Kishan back to Imphal despite having a lecturer's job in New Delhi.

"He once told me that he wants to do something for Manipur.

He was very concerned with the way the state was heading towards a chaos," said S Singh, who spent a few years with the slain officer in Delhi in the nineties.

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