The students tried to march towards Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s residence.
Guwahati:
Hundreds of students in Manipur’s capital, Imphal, took to the streets today in protest against the brutal murder of two students, one a minor, by suspected armed men, and demanded justice for the victims.
The students tried to march towards Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s residence, following which security forces used tear gas shells and smoke bombs to disperse the crowd. Several students were injured and rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.
This uproar comes after pictures of the two students’ bodies went viral on social media, soon after mobile internet was restored in the state following an almost five-month ban.
The two students, who went missing on July 6 during the peak of ethnic violence in the state, are suspected to have been killed.
The photos show the two students – a 17-year-old girl, and a 20-year-old man – sitting at the grassy compound of what appears to be a makeshift jungle camp of an armed group.
The girl is in a white t-shirt while the man, holding a backpack and in a checked shirt, looks on. Behind them, two men with guns are clearly visible.
In the next photo, their bodies are seen slumped on the ground.
Investigators are also looking into allegations of rape before the minor was murdered, sources told NDTV.
Meanwhile, the Manipur government has asked people to exercise restraint and allow authorities to investigate the kidnapping and killing of the duo. In a statement issued by the secretariat of Chief Minister N Biren Singh late on Monday night, the state government said the case has already been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
