2 Manipur students’ murder : CBI Director to arrive in Imphal

way2barak, Sep 26 : A special CBI team led by its Director would reach in Imphal on Wednesday in a special flight to expedite the case of murder of two young students, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on Tuesday night.

The Chief Minister in his post on X, said : “In light of the distressing news that emerged yesterday regarding the tragic demise of the missing students, I want to assure the people of the state that both the state and central government are closely working together to nab the perpetrators.

To further expedite this crucial investigation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director, along with a specialized team, will be arriving in Imphal tomorrow morning in a special flight.

Their presence underscores the commitment of our authorities to swiftly resolve this matter. I have been constantly in touch with Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”

The Manipur government earlier said that the murder case of two young students was handed over to the CBI, while the security forces have also initiated a search operation to nab the perpetrators.

An official from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said that it has come to the notice of the state government that photos of the victims, identified as Phijam Hemjit (20) and Hijam Linthoingambi (17), who have been missing since July, have surfaced on social media.

The official said that the state police, in collaboration with the central security agencies, are actively investigating the case to determine the circumstances surrounding their disappearance and to identify the perpetrators.

At least 34 students, including girls, were injured after hundreds of students took to the streets in Imphal on Tuesday to protest against the killing of two young students by unidentified murderers.

The police said the students were injured after they clashed with the security forces, who prevented them from marching towards Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s bungalow.

The security forces used tear gas shells and smoke bombs to disperse the agitating students. The injured students have been admitted to various hospitals for treatment.

Earlier, hundreds of students gathered on the streets on Tuesday after photographs of the bodies of two missing students went viral on social media.

Seven-teen-year-old girl student Hijam Linthoingambi and 20-year-old Phijam Hemjit had gone missing on July 6 during the height of ethnic violence in Manipur.

Their families suspected that they had been killed by armed assailants.

Both the deceased students hailed from Bishnupur district.

Meanwhile, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) in a statement denied any casteist remarks while dealing the law and order duties.

The RAF said : “A video is being circulated on WhatsApp groups/Twitter showing that RAF personnel while dealing with violent mobs are passing casteist remarks. The voice in the alleged video clip is not of RAF personnel. It appears that the video maker has intentionally recorded casteist remarks in his own voice to tarnish the image of RAF troops.”

The alleged video has been made to defame and discourage the RAF force personnel who are performing their duty with high level of dedication and sincerity.

The RAF personnel remained deployed in different parts of Imphal city for law-and-order duty throughout the day and even during night hours, the statement said, adding that they work on the principle of use of minimum force and graded response to the situation.

The RAF troops have been diligently serving the nation and playing a pivotal role in restoration of the law-and-order situation in Manipur.

The RAF troops are instrumental in ensuring peace, security and normalcy in various disturbed areas of Manipur, the statement said.