The mutilated bodies of two youths, who had gone missing from a village in Manipur's Kangpokpi district three days back, were found in a hilly stretch in adjoining Senapati on Sunday
IMPHAL — The mutilated bodies of two youths, who had gone missing from a village in Manipur's Kangpokpi district three days back, were found in a hilly stretch in adjoining Senapati on Sunday, police said.
The bodies were found stuffed in gunny bags in a banana farm during a search operation to trace the two youths, identified as T Chongloi (21) and Paoginlal Hangsing (20), who went missing from Taphou Kuki village on October 29, they said.
Following the discovery of the bodies, protesters alleging that the youths were abducted and killed by "Naga militants" clashed with security forces in the Kangpokpi district headquarters.
Security forces baton-charged the agitators who were protesting in front of the SP office and also used tear gas to disperse the mob, officials said.
The agitators claimed that a few of them received injuries in the incident.
Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen condemned the killing of the two youths.
In a statement, Kipgen said, "What began with hopes of safe return ended in tragedy."
She demanded that "heinous crimes be thoroughly investigated", and the culprits be brought to justice.
Kangpokpi-based Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) has demanded the resignation of another Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, who is from the Naga community, over the incident.
It also sought the transfer of Taphou Kuki Village from the jurisdiction of Senapati superintendent of police to that of the Kangpokpi SP.
The committee said the bodies would not be taken to the village for final rites till the perpetrators were arrested.
Joint teams of the police, CRPF and Assam Rifles had conducted search operations along the boundary of Kangpokpi and Senapati districts to trace the youths, the officials said.
"During the course of one such operation, the joint teams recovered the two bodies. The bodies are of the two missing Kuki youths," he said.
"An extensive search operation was conducted today by joint teams comprising the Manipur Police, CoBRA, CRPF, Assam Rifles and RAF in the general area east of NH-2, along the SP Road," the police said in a statement.
SP Road is a hilly stretch that connects Senapati and Kangpokpi districts.
Necessary legal formalities are being carried out by the police, the statement said.
On Saturday, three people belonging to the Kuki community were killed in a gunfight between rival armed groups in Noney district, police said.
More than 50 people have been killed and dozens of houses burnt across Tamenglong, Noney, Kamjong, Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts since ethnic clashes broke out between Kuki and Naga communities in February this year.
The state had earlier witnessed ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis, in which over 300 people were killed, while 49 remained missing, and thousands were rendered homeless.