Imphal, November 1: Security forces recovered the bodies of two missing Kuki youths in Manipur’s Senapati district on Sunday, four days after they went missing. The bodies were found during a joint search operation along the Senapati-Phaibung Road.
The deceased were identified as Paoginlal Hangshing and Tinginlun Chongloi, residents of Taphou Kuki village in Kangpokpi district. Reports differ on Chongloi’s age, with some identifying him as 20 and others as 21.
According to Manipur Police, multiple search operations were launched after the two youths went missing on October 28. Initial operations involved teams from the Manipur Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Assam Rifles.
On Sunday, a joint team comprising the Manipur Police, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), CRPF, Assam Rifles and Rapid Action Force (RAF) conducted an extensive search east of National Highway-2, along the Senapati-Phaibung Road. The two bodies were recovered during the operation.
Police said search and combing operations would continue to identify and apprehend those responsible. The circumstances surrounding the deaths and the identities of the perpetrators have not yet been publicly established.
The disappearance of the two youths had prompted the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) to call a 48-hour total shutdown in Kangpokpi district, demanding their immediate and safe release. Tensions remained high in the area following the recovery of the bodies, prompting security forces to take precautionary measures.
The recovery came a day after three other members of the Kuki community were killed in an exchange of fire between armed groups in Manipur’s Noney district. The deaths in the two separate incidents have heightened concerns over the security situation in the state’s hill districts.
