Manipur Governor comforts families of kidnapped and slain youths amid ongoing violence

Imphal: Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey paid a visit on Friday to the families of two young individuals who were allegedly kidnapped and killed, an incident that triggered violent protests within the northeastern state.

She met with the families of the two students at their respective residences in the Imphal West district, according to a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan.

The violence in the state capital, Imphal, flared up again on Tuesday, one day after photographs of the bodies of the two youths, who had gone missing in July, circulated widely on social media platforms.

The Raj Bhavan statement reported that Governor Uikey extended her condolences and consoled the parents of the two students, even offering water to the mothers who had been fasting for several days.

She expressed her deep sympathy and condolences to the grieving families and assured them that appropriate legal action would be taken against the perpetrators.

Governor was also made aware by local residents of the significant use of force by security personnel against the students who had staged protests on Tuesday in response to the killing of the two youths.

A team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is presently investigating the deaths of the two students, a male and a female, in the northeastern state. Manipur has experienced ethnic conflicts for nearly five months.

In response to the recent violent protests, the state government formed a committee to investigate allegations of excessive force used by security forces against protesters, primarily students, over the past two days.

During a media briefing, Governor Uikey appealed to all parents to counsel students to engage in peaceful forms of protest and refrain from taking the law into their own hands, emphasising that injuries sustained during such demonstrations could have a lasting impact on the students' futures.

Later in the evening, the governor visited the injured students from the protests and met with their parents at Shija Hospital in Langol. She provided financial assistance to them and wished them a swift recovery, ensuring they received the necessary medical support.