Manipur crisis: Autopsy of all 6 bodies done; families not ready to accept them for last rites

Silchar (Assam): Even after completion of the post-mortem of all the bodies of the six missing persons from Manipur's Jiribam district, the corpses remain at the morgue of the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in Assam as family members are unwilling to take them back for last rites, sources said on Thursday.

The final body was discovered floating in Barak river in Assam's Cachar district on Monday, following which its autopsy was conducted at SMCH.

"The autopsy of all the six bodies has been done in SMCH. Doctors concerned have also prepared the reports," a source privy to the development told PTI.

The official, however, said there is no confirmation when the mortal remains will be taken to Manipur for handing them over to the respective families for last rites.

"We do not know what is going on exactly. We have been told that the families are not ready yet to accept the bodies in view of the present scenario in Jiribam. Manipur Police is trying to convince them to accept the bodies and do the last rites," the source said.

According to the source, Assam Police, which is guarding the hospital and the bodies at the morgue, has requested their Manipur counterparts to take the bodies as early as possible.

The bodies of the six persons, who went missing from Jiribam after a gunfight between security forces and suspected Kuki-Zo militants that resulted in the deaths of 10 insurgents on November 11, were found in Jiri river in Jiribam and Barak river in Assam's Cachar over the last few days.

They were brought to SMCH in a "highly decomposed state" for autopsy.

Initially, the bodies of a woman and two children were found floating in Jiri river in Jiribam and were brought to SMCH on November 15.

Two more bodies of a woman and a child were found floating in Barak river on November 17 morning in Cachar district.

The six persons, including three women and children each from the Meitei community, went missing from a relief camp in Jiribam's Borobekra area and were allegedly abducted by Kuki-Zo militants.

The six missing persons were identified as Yumrembam Rani Devi (60), Telem Thoibi Devi (31) and her daughter Telem Thajamanbi Devi (8), Laishram Heithoibi Devi (25) and her two children Laishram Chingkheinganba Singh (two-and-a-half-years old) and Laishram Lamnganba Singh (10 months).

Following escalation of violence in recent weeks in Jiribam, bordering Assam's Cachar district, an alert has been sounded in the district with round-the-clock patrolling initiated in the remote border areas. Special commando battalions were also deployed.

Ethnically diverse Jiribam, which was largely untouched by the clashes in Imphal Valley and the adjoining hills, witnessed violence after the mutilated body of a farmer was found in a field in June this year.

More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.

It started after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.