Four people have been arrested and two have been detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the horrific murder case of two students in Manipur in July, whose photo surfaced on social media last week.
The four include two men and two women, apart from the two girls who have been detained in the state capital Imphal. The four have been flown to Guwahati in Assam.
The police and the army in a joint operation captured the suspects from the hill district Churachandpur, 51 km from Imphal, where ethnic violence began on May 3.
After catching them, the forces drove swiftly to the airport, where a CBI team was waiting for them. The CBI team and the suspects took the last flight out of Imphal around 5:45 pm.
Sources said some people tried to move towards the airport on hearing about the arrests.
Colonel (retired) Nectar Sanjenbam, who was recently made Senior Superintendent (Combat) of Police, led the tight-lipped operation to catch the suspects in Churachandpur, where several Kuki insurgents groups that have signed the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement are based.
“I’m pleased to share that some of the main culprits responsible for the abduction and murder of Phijam Hemanjit and Hijam Linthoingambi have been arrested from Churachandpur today,” Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“As the saying goes, one may abscond after committing the crime, but they cannot escape the long hands of the law. We are committed to ensuring maximum punishment, including capital punishment, for the heinous crime they have committed,” he said.
The photos showing the bodies of the two students who went missing in July emerged on social media on September 26, after which the Manipur government assured swift action.
The CBI has been looking into this case already, though the bodies of the two students – both minors – are yet to be found. Investigators are also looking into allegations of rape before the minor was murdered.
The photos show the two students – both 17 years old – sitting at the grassy compound of what appears to be a makeshift jungle camp of an armed group.