Guwahati: Thousands of students on Tuesday took to the streets in Imphal after a photograph of two Meitei students went viral on social media, prompting the state government to declare that “swift and decisive” action will be taken against the perpetrators.
It is significant that the two Meitei students had gone missing from Imphal about three months ago, but after their photograph surfaced on the social media they were presumed killed on Tuesday.
The first photograph shows the two men -- 20-year-old Phijam Hemjit and 17-year-old Hijam Linthoingambi --sitting next to each other in a green outdoor area while two men carrying arms can be seen standing behind them in the background. The second photo shows them slumped on the ground next to each other, with Hemjit’s head missing.
Soon after the photographs surfaced on social media, the Manipur CM’s secretariat issued a statement saying that the case had already been handed over to the CBI.
“State police, in collaboration with the Central security agencies, are actively investigating the case to determine the circumstances surrounding their disappearance and to identify the perpetrators who murdered the two students. The security forces have also started the search operation to nab the perpetrators,” it said.
It further stated that “swift and decisive” action will be taken against those involved in the killing. “The government is committed to ensuring justice prevails and will impose severe punishment on any perpetrators found responsible for this heinous crime. The government encourages the public to exercise restraint and to let the authorities handle the investigation,” it said.
Security sources said the authorities have taken all necessary steps to keep the situation under control. Admitting that the viral video and the photographs had provoked the students to protest, the security sources claimed they have succeeded in pacifying the angry students by assuring them of stern action against the perpetrators.
