After a lull of about two months, violence erupted in Manipur on Saturday when two men were killed at the boundary of Kangpokpi-Imphal East districts. The incident comes days ahead of the proposed election related visit of Home Minister Amit Shah to the State on April 15. This will be Mr. Shah’s first visit to Manipur after he last visited the State on May 29, 2023, in the aftermath of the ethnic violence that erupted on May 3 the same year.
The deceased identified as Kamlensat Lunkim (25) and Kamminlal Lupheng (23) were residents of Kangpokpi district.
After the incident, two videos of the incident surfaced on social media where armed men in camouflage uniforms are seen dismembering and mutilating the bodies of the deceased persons.
Police sources confirmed the veracity of the video to The Hindu.
The incident follows a gunfight between two groups on Friday in Tengnoupal, where one person was said to be injured.
The Lok Sabha election is to be held on two seats in Manipur on April 19 and April 26.
Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had withdrawn around 50 companies of central armed police force (CAPF) personnel in wake of the Lok Sabha election.
A police source, however, said that the CAPFs were not withdrawn from the area where Saturday’s incident took place and the place has always been a flashpoint of violence between members of the Kuki-Zo and Meitei community.
At least 200 people were killed and thousands have been displaced since ethnic violence broke out in the north-eastern State.
