GUWAHATI: The students in Manipur continued to protest on Thursday against the killing of two students even as the Centre transferred Srinagar Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Balwal to the strife-torn state. A 2012-batch IPS officer of AGMUT cadre, Balwal earlier served in the National Investigation Agency on deputation. He was also part of the team that probed the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.
For the third consecutive day, students took out a march in Imphal under the aegis of six students’ organisations, demanding justice for 17-year-old girl Hijam Linthoingambi and 20-year-old man Phijam Hemjit. The fresh unrest broke out after photos of the duo – before and after their death –surfaced on social media on Monday. They were reported missing in the first week of July.
The protestors demanded the arrest of the accused, implementation of National Register of Citizens and removal of central and paramilitary forces from the state. They condemned the ‘heinous crimes’ committed by security forces in the name of curbing the voices of the protestors and demanded an end to alleged human rights violations. Nearly 200 students were injured during the protests.
As the protests have kept Imphal on the edge with the authorities re-imposing the ban on mobile internet services across the state and clamping total curfew in the twin districts of Imphal East and Imphal West, the families of the two students urged the authorities to locate the bodies so the last rites could be performed.
Hijam Kulajit, father of Hijam Linthoingambi, said that a small portion of the clothes she was wearing would be needed to give her a respectful send-off according to Meitei custom. The girl’s mother is bed-ridden while Phijam Hemjit’s mother still cooks for him, unable to accept his death. The government has handed over the case to CBI. Meanwhile, a doctor was suspended for posting ‘inappropriate comment’ on social media.
Mob’s attempt to attack CM’s ancestral house foiled
A mob tried to attack Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s empty ancestral house on Thursday night, despite a security clampdown and curfew in the Imphal valley. However, security forces successfully foiled the attempt after firing in the air. RAF and state police personnel fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the mob. Power was switched off in the entire area to help reduce visibility of the protestors.