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Kin of Meitei man killed in Churachandpur refuse to accept body, seek arrests; govt announces Rs 10 lakh compensation
Mayanglambam Rishikanta was abducted from the house of his fiancée, a Kuki-Zo woman, by armed Kuki militants where he had been living for the last one month
Rishikanta, 38, was abducted from the house of his fiancée where he had been living for the last one month.
The family of Mayanglambam Rishikanta, the Meitei man who was gunned down by alleged armed Kuki militants in Churachandpur on Wednesday, have refused to accept his body unless their demands, including the arrest of the perpetrators, are met.
Late on Thursday, the body of Rishikanta was handed over to Kakching police. It is currently kept at the mortuary of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. Rishikanta, 38, was abducted from the house of his fiancée where he had been living for the last one month.
Khumukcham Pradip, convener of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) formed on Thursday against Rishikanta’s killing, said the deceased’s family has decided not to claim his body until the state government gives a concrete assurance to fulfil all their demands. The demands included handing over the case to NIA, apprehending the perpetrators, and to compensate the family. The JAC has served a 72-hour ultimatum to the government for fulfilling their demands, failing which they warned of launching agitation with the support of civil bodies.
“Although two of the demands, which include handing over the body of Rishikanta and transferring the case to NIA, have been fulfilled, we need a concrete assurance from the state that all our demands would be met and swift action would be ensured,” said the JAC convener on Friday.
Later in the evening, the government, in a press statement, announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family of the deceased.
Sanayai, Rishikanta’s cousin, said, “We will sit with the JAC from time to time to review the development and accordingly, plan our next move.”
Meanwhile, search continued for the second day to hunt down the militants involved in Rishikanta’s killing. Police said a combined force, comprising state and central troops, launched an intense operation at Natjang area soon after the incident came to light. Police said on Friday that further operations are underway at the Khoirentak area in Churachandpur.
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Rishikanta was abducted from the house of his fiancée, Chingnu Haokip, in Tuibuong headquarters area by armed Kuki militants. His body was later recovered from the Natjang area. The deceased, originally from Kakching Khunou in the Meitei-majority valley, had been living with his fiancée, who is from the Kuki-Zo community, for the past month.
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