Manipur: Photos of bodies of missing girl, man apparently decapitated go viral

Photos of the bodies of a man apparently decapitated and a girl, who had been missing since July, went viral after a ban on mobile internet was lifted in the ethnic violence-hit Manipur over the weekend.

A photo of the two students showed them sitting on the ground in what appears to be a forest with two armed men in the background. Another photo showed them lying on the ground apparently after being shot dead. The head of the man appeared to be missing. The photos were taken on July 8 two days after the two students went missing.

In a statement, Manipur chief minister’s secretariat late on Monday confirmed the photos were of Phijam Hemjit, 20, and Hijam Linthoinggambi, 17, both Meiteis, from Imphal. They had gone missing on July 6 and remained untraced even as security agencies looked for them and locals took to the streets seeking their whereabouts.

“It may be noted that this case has already been handed over to the CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] as per the wishes of the people of the state,” said the statement. It added police and central security agencies were investigating the case and search operations were on to nab those who murdered the two students. “The government assures the public that swift and decisive action will be taken against all those involved in the kidnapping and killing of Phijam Hemjit and Hijam Linthoingambi.”

The statement said the government was committed to ensuring justice for the murdered students and “severe punishment on any perpetrators found responsible for this heinous crime”. It urged the public “to exercise restraint and let the authorities handle the investigation”.

The ethnic violence between dominant Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur has since May left at least 175 dead and around 50,000 displaced. The Kukis and other tribal groups live in hill districts while the Meiteis in the Imphal valley and plains. Central forces have been posted in the buffer zones or areas adjoining the foothills to ensure that armed people from both the Kukis and Meitei sides do not cross them to launch attacks. They have been directed against allowing even state police to cross the buffer zones without taking them along. The directive was issued amid allegations of bias against the state police.