Guwahati, Nov 17: Two more bodies were recovered from the Barak River near Chirighat in the Banskandi area of South Assam’s Cachar district on Sunday, adding to the prevailing tense atmosphere in the region. The victims were identified as a 65-year-old woman, Yurembam Rani Devi, and her 2.5-year-old grandson, Laisram Chingkheiganba Singh.
Cachar Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta arrived at the scene and arranged for the bodies to be sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) for post-mortem examinations. Uttam Singh, a resident of Jiribam, identified the victims as members of his extended family.
This discovery follows the recovery of three other bodies on Friday from the Jirimukh area near the Assam-Manipur border. Those victims were identified as Telem Thoibi Devi (31), her daughter Telem Thajmanbi Devi (8), and her infant son, Laisram Langamba Singh (8 months).
Officials from Manipur stated that a total of seven bodies from Jiribam residents, including five members of the same family, are currently at SMCH. They revealed that two elderly individuals from Jiribam, killed by armed assailants at Jakuradhor on November 11, are among the deceased. Post-mortems have been conducted on three of the victims.
The victims are believed to be among six individuals abducted on November 11 from the Borobekra subdivision in Jiribam. The group comprised three women and three children, all from the Meitei community.
The escalating violence in Manipur, particularly in the valley regions, has fueled public outrage. Since November 13, protests have erupted outside SMCH, with demonstrators demanding justice. Tensions boiled over on Saturday when police from Assam and Manipur attempted to move the bodies, leading to violent clashes.
On Sunday evening, a candlelight march was held in Silchar to honour the six abducted Meiteis. The event was organized by the Coordination Committee on Crisis of Meetei Manipuri, reflecting the widespread grief and unrest over the tragic killings.
