While the bodies of two missing students are yet to be traced in violence-hit Manipur, two more teenagers who reportedly went to take part in a ceremony at Koubru temple in Sekmai went missing after they crossed the Kanglatombi bridge in Imphal West on Sunday, flaring tensions yet again in the strife-torn state.
The two missing persons are Avinash Maibam alias Khaba, 16 son of M Hemanta and Ningthoujam Anthony alias Temba, 19, son of (L) N Sunder both from Akham Awang Leikai under the jurisdiction of Lamshang Police station.
They went on their Jawa motorcycle bearing registration number MN01AN-3387 to take part in the ceremony on Sunday morning.
As per their family members, they stopped taking calls from their family members from 10.30 am on Sunday. Around 8 pm they went to Lamshang police station as both of them were unreachable till 7 pm. The cyber crime department traced their location and found out that their last mobile phone’s location was in Senapati district.
As per reports, a team of SDPO Senapati Stanley Keishing recovered the mobile phones from an oil pump in Rikhumai Taphou around 12.5 am in Senapati district after SP Senapati was given the reports about the two teens missing.
The mobile phones were found in a black polythene after the police saw a light signal in the dark when they were dialing the number of the mobile phones. One of the mobile phones was switched off and the other was in silent mode. The phones were found just 2-3 kms from Taphou Kuki, said the reports.
A combined force of Kangpokpi District Police, 22-AR and CRPF conducted search operations at Khengjang, Langnom and Gampiphai under Sapermeina Police Station, Kangpokpi district from 2 pm to 4.30 pm on Monday in search of the two missing youths but failed to trace them.
An enraged mob from Akham and other places came to Sekmai and Kanglatombi bridge. The mob also blocked roads from Lamshang Bazar till Phumlou. Manipur Police IG Zone-1 Themthing Ngashangva, SP Imphal West and Additional SP rushed to Sekmai Police station to inspect the incident.
Lamshang MLA S Rajen also came to inspect the incident till Kanglatombi bridge. The MLA along with the womenfolk of Akham submitted a memorandum to the governor and chief minister.
It may be recalled that the bodies of missing students, namely Phijam Hemanjit, 20, and Hijam Lingthoingambi, 17, are yet to be traced after they were presumed killed by Kuki militants. Both the students had gone missing since July 6.
