Kangpokpi: Two bodies found during search for missing Taphou youths

Security forces searching for two young men missing from Taphou Kuki village in Manipur's Kangpokpi district recovered two bodies from a hilly stretch on Sunday morning, November 1, police said.

In a statement, Manipur Police said an extensive search had been carried out by joint teams of the state police, the CRPF's CoBRA unit, the CRPF, Assam Rifles and the Rapid Action Force in the general area east of National Highway-2, along the SP Road. The SP Road is a hilly route linking Kangpokpi with neighbouring Senapati district.

The bodies were found during that operation. Police said the identification process is under way and that the necessary legal formalities are being completed. They have not yet said whether the bodies are those of the two missing youths, and have not given a cause of death.

According to India Today NE, security forces will keep up search and combing operations in the area to identify and catch those responsible.

Who went missing

The two youths, Paoginlal Hangshing, 20, and Tinginlun Chongloi, 21, went missing from Taphou Kuki village in late October. Reports have given the date as October 28 or 29. The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), a Kuki-Zo body in Kangpokpi, has alleged that they were abducted by armed cadres of Naga groups. Those groups have not publicly responded, and police have not said who was behind the disappearance.

Days of protest

CoTU called a 48-hour shutdown in Kangpokpi district on October 29 and extended it by another 24 hours on October 31, after thousands rallied in Kangpokpi town demanding the pair's safe return. A memorandum addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on behalf of 21 civil society organisations sought their immediate release and action against those responsible. The village authority and political leaders had also appealed for their release.

The search comes amid heightened tension in Manipur's hill districts. On Saturday, police confirmed three deaths in a gunfight between armed groups in Noney district.

What next

Police are expected to complete identification and post-mortem procedures before giving further details. NEInsider will update this story when the identities and the police account are confirmed.