IMPHAL, 26 Sep: More than 30 students, mostly girls, were injured in Manipur’s Imphal valley on Tuesday as the police fired tear gas shells and baton-charged protesting students against the killing of two youths who had allegedly been kidnapped in July, officials said.
The students of Imphal-based schools and colleges brought out protest rallies hours after photos of the bodies of the two youths went viral on social media, demanding arrest of those involved in the killing.
The protesters clashed with the police near Sanjenthong in Imphal East district when security forces stopped them from advancing towards the chief minister’s secretariat here.
The police used tear gas shells and batons to disperse the agitators.
“School and college students took out a rally in Imphal to protest against the killing of the two youths. As the students were heading towards the CM’s secretariat, security personnel took action to disperse them,” a police officer said.
Over 30 students were injured in police action and admitted to three hospitals in Imphal, officials of the medical facilities said.
Photos of the bodies of the missing students surfaced on social media on Monday. Security personnel have been put on alert and additional measures taken to prevent any incident after the photos of the students went viral, a senior officer said.
Students also took out rallies in Uripok, Old Lambulane, and Singjamei in Imphal West district, demanding arrest of those involved in the killing of the two youths.
Similar clashes between students and security forces have been reported from Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur districts.
Abungo Th, a student who participated in the protest, told the media: “The missing students were killed and the government is yet to arrest the killers. The location of the bodies where they have been buried is still unknown.
The government is reluctant to take action.”
The state government assured the people that “swift and decisive action will be taken against all those involved in the kidnapping and killing of Phijam Hemjit and Hijam Linthoingambi,” a statement from the chief minister’s office said.
“The government is committed to ensuring justice and will impose severe punishment on any perpetrator found responsible for the heinous crime,” it said.
The police had previously said that the whereabouts of the two were not known and their mobile phones were switched off. The last location of their handsets was traced at Lamdan, near the winter flower tourist spot in Churachandpur district, they had said earlier.
Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence since early May. More than 175 people have been killed and several hundreds injured since ethnic clashes broke out in the state on 3 May. (PTI)
