Imphal: The last rites of the Meitei man who was shot dead by suspected Kuki militants in Manipur’s Churachandpur district were performed at his native place in Kakching district on Sunday.
Joint Action Committee (JAC) co-convenor L Sushil Singh said the body of Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh was brought from the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) morgue in Imphal earlier in the day and cremated at Kakching Khunou village.
“The decision to receive the body was taken following a meeting between family members, JAC representatives and Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla last night. The governor responded very positively to our demands,” Singh said.
The body had been kept at JNIMS since the night of Jan 22, after Churachandpur police handed it over to Kakching police following completion of the autopsy.
Singh, a member of the Meitei community, was abducted from his home in the Tuibong area on Wednesday and later shot dead near Natjang village. The assailants are suspected to belong to the United Kuki National Army (UNKA), a group not party to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement signed between the Centre, the Manipur government, and several Kuki-Zo militant outfits.
Singh, originally from Kakching Khunou in Kakching district, returned to Churachandpur from Nepal on January 19. He had assumed a tribal name, Ginminthang, and was staying with his wife, Chingnu Haokip of Churachandpur, with permission from some local groups.
A disturbing video showing his final moments — where he was shot twice — was released by the perpetrators and went viral. The Manipur high court on Friday directed authorities to remove the video, warning that its circulation could disturb public order.
Governor Bhalla had announced that the murder case of a Meitei man in Churachandpur, allegedly carried out by suspected Kuki militants, had been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a detailed investigation.
JAC co-convenor said authorities had met nearly 70-80% of the demands raised by the JAC and family members, prompting them to claim the body for the last rites.
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However, he stressed that democratic protests would continue until the culprits are arrested. He also demanded the arrest of Rishikanta’s fiancee, Chingnu Haokip, in connection with the crime.
