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| Mobile Internet Suspended In Manipur For 5 Days, All Schools In The State Closed On 27 And 29 September |
Hours After Police On Tuesday Lathicharged A Crowd Protesting Against The Killing Of Two Youths In Imphal Valley, The Manipur Government Again Banned Internet Services For The Next Five Days. Police Fired Tear Gas Shells And Lathicharged On A Crowd Protesting Against The Killing Of Two Youths In Imphal Valley, Injuring More Than 45 Students.
A Notification Said, “The Government Of Manipur Has Decided To Suspend Mobile Internet Data Services, Internet/Data Services Through VPN in The Jurisdiction Of The State With Immediate Effect Till 7:45 p.m. on October 1, 2023. " Due To The Prevailing Law And Order Situation, The State Government In Another Notification Announced That All Government And Private Schools Will Remain Closed On Wednesday And Friday. Thursday Is A Public Holiday In The State On The Occasion Of Eid-E-Milad, The Birth Anniversary Of Prophet Mohammed.
Police Lathicharged The Students
Earlier, Hours After Pictures Of The Bodies Of Two Youths Went Viral On Social Media, Students Of Schools And Colleges In Imphal Took Out Protest Rallies And Demanded The Arrest Of Those Involved In The Murder. The Protesters Clashed With Police Near Sanjenthong In Imphal East District When Security Forces Stopped Them From Moving Towards The Chief Minister's Secretariat Here. The Police Used Tear Gas Shells And Lathi Charge To Disperse The Agitators.
45 Students Injured
Medical Facilities Officials Said More Than 45 Students Were Injured In The Police Action And Have Been Admitted To Various Private And Government Hospitals In Imphal East And West Districts. Of Them, 31 Are Being Treated At A Private Hospital, 12 Others Are Being Treated At Two Government Facilities, and two Others Have Been Admitted To Another Private Hospital.
Demand For Arrest Of Those Involved In The Murder Of Youth
Photographs Of The Bodies Of The Missing Students Surfaced On Social Media On Monday, Following Which The Manipur Government Asked People To Exercise Restraint And Cooperate With Authorities In Investigating Their Abduction And Murder. Both The Youths Were Identified As Phizam Hemjeet (20) And Hizam Linthoingambi (17). Students Also Took Out Rallies In Uripok, Old Lambulane, and Singjamei In Imphal West District Demanding The Arrest Of Those Involved In The Murder Of The Two Youths. Similar Clashes Between Students And Security Forces Have Been Reported From Thoubal, Kakching, And Bishnupur Districts.
Investigation Handed Over To CBI
In A Statement Issued By Chief Minister N Biren Singh's Secretariat Late On Monday Night, The State Government Said The Case Has Been Handed Over To The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) For Investigation. The Statement Said, “The State Police In Collaboration With Central Security Agencies Are Investigating To Ascertain The Circumstances Surrounding The Disappearance Of The Students And Identify The Conspirators Who Murdered Them. Security Forces Have Also Started A Search Operation To Arrest The Accused.”
Security Personnel Were Alerted
A Senior Official Said Security Personnel Have Been Alerted And Additional Measures Have Been Taken To Prevent Any Untoward Incident After Pictures Of The Students Surfaced On Social Media. The Statement Said The Government Assured The People That 'swift And Decisive Action Will Be Taken Against All The Accused Involved In The Abduction And Murder Of Phizam Hemjit And Hizam Linthoingambi.'
The Statement Also Said That The Government Is Committed To Ensuring Justice And Those Responsible For This Heinous Crime Will Be Given Strict Punishment. The Administration Urged People To 'Exercise Restraint And Allow The Authorities To Investigate'. Two Photographs Of The Missing Students Appeared On Social Media On Monday Night. In One Of These Photographs, Students Are Allegedly Seen With Two Armed Men And In The Other Photograph, Two Dead Bodies Are Seen.