“If a single remains such as a piece of clothes of late Linthoingambi and Hemanjit cannot be delivered to their families, then the public might start losing trust in the CBI,” Opposition MLA K Ranjit lamented on Wednesday.
Raising a calling attention motion on the floor of the House, Opposition MLA K Ranjit expressed deep concern over the handling of the case involving the disappearance of Phijam Hemanjit and Luwangbi Linthoingambi amid the Manipur crisis.
Highlighting the distress of their families, MLA Ranjit lamented the failure to deliver even a fragment of their remains, despite the arrest of five individuals, including minors, and the subsequent filing of a chargesheet by the CBI in December 2023.
He pointed out that the photo of the two youths captured by the militants, which went viral on social media, has deeply affected the people of Manipur and the families of the victims, who have been seeking their remains.
He further questioned the inability to recover their remains for proper last rites, especially noting that Hemanjit’s family had conducted his last rites recently, while Linthoingambi’s family awaits for her remains.
“Can’t the government take the information about the place they have been buried by the Kuki militants to recover at least a fragment of their remains?” he questioned.
He suggested that the Chief Minister could leverage his position to retrieve this information from the CBI, which is under the Home Minister.
In response, Chief Minister N Biren Singh assured the House that the state government has consistently pressured the CBI to expedite the retrieval of any remains and emphasized the rightful claim of the families for closure. He noted that, while the investigation is ongoing, the CBI has recovered various articles from the accused, withholding further details due to the sensitive nature of the case.
The chief minister affirmed that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure justice for the victims and their families, promising stringent punishment for the culprits involved.
He assured the House that the government remains committed to supporting the families and facilitating the retrieval of their loved ones’ remains.
In July 2023, Phijam Hemanjit and Luwangbi Linthoingambi disappeared amid the Manipur crisis.
Disturbing photos surfaced in September 2023, allegedly showing them captured before being killed by Kuki militants that had shaken the people of Manipur.
