A 47-year-old man from Manipur's Kangchup Chiru village tragically passed away on Monday night while being rushed to the hospital, shortly after he was released by unknown abductors.
The post-mortem of the deceased, identified as Merangir Chiru, son of Someng Chiru, was conducted at RIMS on Tuesday, but the family members have refused to collect the body until the filing of this report.
According to the family, they will claim the body only when the culprits are identified and apprehended by law enforcement agencies.
Reports indicate that Merangir Chiru was summoned by unidentified members of a UG group on Monday morning at Kangchup Chingkhong.
The meeting ostensibly concerned an incident from several months ago, and Merangir was subsequently detained by the group.
Concerned by his prolonged absence, his family sought assistance from CSOs, leading to his release around 8.30 pm on the same day.
Tragically, upon being released, Merangir Chiru was rushed to RIMS hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival at 9.45 pm.
Police have taken a suo moto case in this regard, and according to the police report, it is suspected that he may have been assaulted during his captivity, pending confirmation from the post-mortem report which is yet to be released.
Jatakpon Mechek, wife of the deceased, asserted her husband’s innocence, describing him as a farmer and devoted father to their four children.
“As my husband was taken alive, I want him back alive,” she implored the media. The family has refused to claim his body until the perpetrators are identified and apprehended, seeking both compensation and swift action by law enforcement.
Chairman of Kangchup Chiru Village Alen Thanga vehemently condemned the killing, highlighting that the Chiru tribe has historically maintained peace amid Manipur’s ongoing communal tensions. The incident has stirred emotions within the community, calling for solidarity and justice for Merangir Chiru.
In a turn of events, a video of the deceased taken during his custody period went viral on social media.
In the video, Merangir admitted to being an informer of Kuki militants, which led to the killing of a Meetei youth namely Takhellambam Manoranjan of Thiyam Konjin on 18 January this year, amid the ongoing communal clash in Manipur.
