Newmai News Network
Imphal | December 14, 2023
Mortal remains of 64 persons who were killed in the violence that broke out in Manipur since May 3 this year and were lying in different hospital morgues were handed over to their respective kins on Thursday.
Out of the total 64, 60 belonged to Kuki-Zo community lying unclaimed at RIMS morgue and JNIMS morgue while the remaining four belonged to Meitei community lying at Churachandpur district hospital morgue.
Sources said that the bodies were moved to their respective districts after proper identification by their kins in line with a recent order of the Supreme Court of India.
On November 28, the Supreme Court had asked the Manipur government to issue a public notice giving a week’s time to the victims’ relatives to claim the bodies, failing which the state “shall carry out burial/ cremation”.
The sources also said that a combined team of police and paramilitary forces collected the 60 dead bodies belonging to Kuki-Zo community from RIMS morgue and JNIMS morgue in the wee hours of today, around 2 am, and moved to the helipad of IGAR(S) at Mantripukhri in north Imphal.
They collected 27 bodies from JNIMS morgue and 33 from RIMS morgue and kept at the IGAR(S) complex before transporting them to Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts.
A total of 41 bodies were airlifted to Churachandpur and 19 to Kangpokpi district. Two choppers were reportedly used in transporting the bodies.
Meanwhile, four dead bodies belonging to the Meitei community who were killed in the violence in Churachandpur were also airlifted and later handed over to their respective kins for performing their last rites.
Among the bodies, one was a woman who hailed from Khuga Tampak of Churachandpur district, the sources said.
