Guwahati, November 16: The bodies of 10 militants gunned down by CRPF personnel in Manipur's Jiribam were handed over to their respective families on Saturday by the authorities at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH). The bodies, which had been brought to the hospital for autopsy on November 14, were carried by villagers who have been camping at the hospital premises since then. Reports indicate that the bodies are being transported in trucks to Manipur at the time of writing this report.
However, the process of handing over the bodies was marred by violence on Saturday. Clashes broke out between the protesters and police personnel at the SMCH premises, with reports of stone-pelting incidents. Four journalists and several police officers were reportedly injured during the scuffles.
The villagers, who had been demanding the swift completion of the autopsy since Thursday evening, grew increasingly agitated over delays and reportedly started pelting stones on the police. As tensions escalated, senior Assam Police officials, including DIG Southern Range Kankan Jyoti Saikia and SP Cachar Numal Mahatta, arrived at the scene and engaged with the protesters.
They provided a 15-minute window for the protesters to decide their next steps and vacate the premises, warning of possible legal action if the situation did not calm down.
“We have been cooperating with you all this while, but this is Assam, and no act of violence will be tolerated here,” said SP Mahatta, highlighting the state's commitment to ensuring the bodies were returned to Manipur.
“This is not Manipur, and we won’t allow such acts of violence. The bodies came from Manipur, and it is our duty to send them to Churachandpur. If you wish to attend the last rites, you can do so there,” Mahatta added.
Earlier on November 14, the villagers had claimed that those killed in the fierce gun battle in Jiribam were not militants but “village volunteers guarding their lands."
