Bodies of 64 Manipur victims handed over to their families

At least 64 bodies of the victims from both Kuki and Meitei communities were shifted from morgues and handed over to their families on Thursday, ending the months of anxious wait for the relatives to bid adieu to their kin killed in the ongoing ethnic clashes that have rocked Manipur since May, officials aware of the matter said.

- Utpal Parashar

While 60 bodies of victims from the tribal Kuki community were shifted from morgues in Imphal to two hill districts, four bodies of Meitei victims were shifted from a morgue in Churachandpur to the state capital, officials added.

The bodies, which were kept for months in the morgues at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) and Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), both in Imphal, were airlifted to Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi and Churachandpur districts amid tight security arrangements put in place by the Manipur Police and Assam Riffles.

According to representatives of Kuki groups, 41 bodies were brought to the Assam Rifles helipad in Churachandpur in four batches by the helicopter till 2.30 pm. The remaining 19 bodies were shifted to Motbung in Kangpokpi.