IMPHAL: The ancestral village of Litan in Manipur’s Chandel district came to a solemn standstill on Tuesday as the last rites of Indian Army soldier Serto Thangthang Kom were performed with full military honours.
The poignant ceremony was attended by grieving family members, scores of villagers, as well as officers from the Army, Assam Rifles, and the district administration.
To probe the shocking killing of the Indian Army soldier, the Manipur government has taken action by establishing a one-man Inquiry Commission. Inspector General of Police, Zone-1, Themthing Ngashangva has been entrusted with this crucial responsibility, with a mandate to submit the inquiry report to the government within one month.
The incident has deeply impacted the Kom community, leading to widespread demonstrations in Imphal and various other locations across the state. Members of the Kom tribe, both men and women, voiced their collective anguish against the loss of one of their own.
Serto Ahao Kom, the President of Kom Union Manipur, told the local press that Chief Minister N Biren Singh convened a meeting with Kom community leaders and the grieving family. During the meeting, the Chief Minister offered solace and pledged to provide a suitable government job to the deceased soldier’s next of kin, easing their financial burden in this trying time.
Serto Thangthang Kom, a dedicated member of the Defence Service Corps (DSC), was abducted from his home in Tarung, Happy Valley in Imphal West district, by three armed assailants on Saturday. A day later, the lifeless body of the 49-year-old, bearing bullet wounds was discovered at Khuningthek Village East in Imphal East district on Sunday.
Serto Kom is survived by his wife, a daughter, and a son, who bid a tearful farewell to their beloved family member.
