By Grace Jajo
Imphal, Aug 11:
Tangkhul Naga Long has refused to take the two dead bodies of Thotreichan Kashung and Naosomi Lungleng of Sanakeithel village after postmortem unless the culprits are arrested by the authorities.
Following a coordination emergency meeting in Ukhrul, a combined team of Tangkhul CSOs led by the Tangkhul Naga Long president, Hopingson A Shimray held a meeting at Sanakeithel on 10th August along with the village chief, chairman and elders of the village. While condemning the brutal murder they unanimously resolved to demand justice for the two victims and called on the state authorities to immediately arrest the persons involved in the killing of the two youths. The Tangkhul collective led by the apex body also said the two dead bodies lying at JNIMS will not be claimed before arrest of the culprits.
A joint press statement of the Tangkhul CSOs strongly condemns the brutal murder of the two youths and refuses to accept the two dead bodies before the assailants are arrested. The statement said such act can cause communal misunderstanding and disturb the existing communal harmony. They urged the District Administration of Ukhrul and Kangpokpi to arrest the suspected assailants at the earliest and said the dead bodies will not be accepted before that. The statement reads “From the horrific nature and extent of their injuries, it is clear that their murder was executed in a most cold-blooded, barbaric and pre-planned manner while they were bound and blindfolded without any provocation”. It appealed to that state government and law enforcing agencies to take all necessary action at the earliest before the situation escalates and snowballed into mass unwanted law and order problems. It states that the collective Tangkhul Civil Societies resolved to stand in unflinching solidarity with the victim families and villagers in demanding befitting justice. It further demands compensation of ex gratia payment to the two families.
The chief of Sanakeithel Village, Canaan Zimik while expressing his grief said the bodies had broken skull and broken teeth and has to be a murder. He appealed to all the people across the community, residing in the surrounding of their village, to extend support in demanding justice for the two victims.
It may be mentioned that two Sankeithel villagers namely Thotreichan Kashung (31) S/o Mothang Kashung and Naosomi Lungleng (29) S/o of Late Lightson Lungleng went missing from the 4th of August and their highly decomposed bodies were found on the 8th of August.
Following which an FIR was lodged in Litan police station on the same day via 11(8)2021 LTN P.S. u/s302 IPC by the Sanakeithel village chairman Kachang Phungmi. The FIR states that the two dead bodies were found in a highly decomposed manner inside a bush on the riverbank of Ihang at the outskirt of southern Sanakeithel at around 3 pm of 8th August, 2021. It further states that they were last seen on 4th of August after Mira, a resident of Sanakeithel dropped them at Dongshum Village at around 9-10am.
The Tangkhul Naga Zingtun Longphang chairman, Yurthing Kasar had written to the DC Ukhrul on 9th August 2021 to investigate and arrest the culprits. The letter while expressing disappointment demand that the post mortem had to be done by noon of the following day.
The SP Ukhrul had visited Sanakeithel village yesterday and met the villagers on the 10th of August. Post mortem was finally conducted on 10th August however the two death bodies still lie in JNIMS morgue.
