2 Manipuris found shot dead; 1 with blindfold, tied hands

Two bodies, including that of a woman, with bullet wounds were recovered in Imphal East and West districts in Manipur, police said on Thursday.

The body of a middle-aged woman with a bullet wound on her head was found in the vicinity of Tairenpokpi area in Imphal West district on Wednesday, said a police officer.

He said the body was sent to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal for post-mortem examination.

The body of a man, presumed to be in his forties, was found in Takhok Mapal Makha area in Imphal East district late on Tuesday night, another officer said.

Locals recovered the body of the unidentified man, he said.

According to the police, the deceased was found blindfolded with hands tied behind his back and bullet wounds on his head.

The body was sent to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East for identification and post-mortem examinations.

"An FIR has been registered, and an investigation is on," the officer said.

The deceased woman is believed to be one of the four missing persons, who were recently 'abducted by unidentified men' from Kangchup foothills in Imphal West district, another officer said.

Alarmed over the presence of unknown persons from a different community, who had strayed into the Meitei area, a large group of people, including women from Phayeng, went to Kangchup hillside to find out about them, eyewitnesses had said.

Notably, at least nine people, including two Manipur police personnel and a woman, sustained bullet injuries after unidentified men fired on them at Kangchup foothills on Tuesday.

Manipur has remained gripped by recurring bouts of violence since ethnic clashes first erupted in May. More than 180 people have been killed since then.

The clashes have occurred over a number of grievances that both sides have against the other, however, the flashpoint of the crisis has been a move to give Meiteis Scheduled Tribe status, which has since been rolled back and an attempt to turf out tribals living in protected forest areas.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.