Manipur horror viral picture: 2 missing students found dead with armed men in the background

In a shocking and deeply disturbing incident in Manipur, two missing students, Hijam Linthoingambi, aged 17, and Phijam Hemjit, aged 20, both belonging to the Meitei community, were tragically discovered dead in photographs that recently surfaced on social media. The images, which have sent shockwaves across the nation, depict a grim scene: the two young individuals seated in the grassy compound of what appears to be a makeshift jungle camp, with two armed men ominously positioned behind them.

The disappearance of these two students, who went missing in July, has been the subject of intense scrutiny and investigation. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had taken charge of the case, but as of now, their bodies have not been recovered.

The haunting photographs reveal Ms. Linthoingambi, clad in a white t-shirt, and Mr. Hemjit, holding a backpack and wearing a checked shirt, sitting vulnerable in the presence of the armed men. The subsequent image captures the lifeless bodies of the two students sprawled on the ground, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

The revelation of these images has ignited widespread outrage across the nation, prompting questions regarding the delayed response of law enforcement authorities in cracking the case.

In the initial stages of the investigation, CCTV footage from local shops had captured glimpses of the two students in July, yet their whereabouts remained elusive. Investigators are now expected to employ advanced cyber forensics tools to enhance the clarity of the images and ascertain the identities of the armed men seen in the background.

The Manipur government, in response to this distressing development, has pledged to take "swift and decisive" action in pursuit of justice for Mr. Hemjit and Ms. Linthoingambi. They emphasised that this case had been handed over to the CBI, in accordance with the wishes of the state's residents. Furthermore, the state police, in cooperation with central security agencies, are actively engaged in the investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and to identify those responsible for the heinous crime. Security forces have also initiated a search operation to apprehend the culprits.

The government has issued an appeal to the public, urging them to maintain calm and allow investigators to carry out their duties diligently.

The backdrop to this harrowing incident is the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur. The region's hills are home to numerous camps of approximately 25 Kuki insurgent groups, which have entered into a tripartite suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the central government, the state government, and the military. The Kukis have alleged that valley-based militias have targeted them, while the Meiteis have accused Kuki insurgents of violating the SoO agreement by engaging in open combat with sophisticated weaponry.

This ethnic violence, primarily involving the hill-dwelling Kuki tribes and the valley-residing Meiteis, erupted on May 3rd, following protests by the Kukis against the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. Tragically, over 180 lives have been lost, and thousands have been internally displaced as a result of this ongoing conflict, underscoring the urgent need for peace and resolution in the region.