Imphal: Public grief and outrage have intensified in Manipur following the formal identification of four out of six bodies recently recovered from a remote area. The deceased are believed to be part of a group of Naga men, including local pastors, who were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village in the Kangpokpi district last month.
Following an intensive 24-hour joint search operation involving nearly 450 personnel from the Manipur Police, Assam Rifles, and CRPF, the severely mutilated bodies were recovered and transferred to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) morgue in Imphal.
Distraught family members, civil society leaders, and hundreds of community members gathered outside the medical facility to await the identification process and claim the remains of their loved ones. The initial deployment of security barricades, which temporarily prevented mourners from paying their respects, sparked brief standoffs and sharp public anger before being removed by authorities.
As formal identification procedures continue for the remaining victims, the victims' families and various Naga community organisations have united in demanding swift justice. They have called on both the state and central administrations to conduct a thorough investigation, apprehend the perpetrators behind the brutal killings, and urgently reinforce security protocols across the conflict-torn region.