IMPHAL | Manipur Police has confirmed that two Kuki youths who were allegedly abducted from Senapati district were murdered, with their bodies subsequently recovered from a forested area along the Senapati-Paibung Road. The state government’s proposal to hand over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is at an advanced stage, police said.

The victims, Paoginlal Hangsing and Tinginlun Chongloi, were residents of Taphou Kuki village in Senapati district. Addressing the media on November 10, ADGP (Law and Order) Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo said the two men were last seen near Maranmai village before they went missing.

Following the incident, police registered an FIR, examined witnesses and questioned several people. Intensive search operations were subsequently launched under the supervision of senior officers, involving joint teams of Manipur Police, CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, Assam Rifles and the Army. “The bodies of the two deceased were recovered from a forested area along Senapati-Paibung Road, approximately 14 kilometres east of National Highway 2,” Lhatoo said. He said search and investigation operations were continuing on a daily basis to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killings.

According to the ADGP, intelligence inputs, physical evidence and detailed technical analysis have helped investigators identify individuals suspected to be involved in the crime. “The culprits will definitely be caught,” he said. Lhatoo further stated that the Manipur government’s proposal to transfer the case to the NIA had reached an advanced stage. The necessary orders are awaited before the central agency formally takes over the investigation.