Bloodiest New Year in Manipur: Four lives lost as armed miscreants target villagers

Imphal, Jan 2: In Manipur's Thoubal district, Lilong witnessed a grim New Year with four lives lost. Some well-armed, unidentified gunmen arrived at Lilong Chingjao Village around 7:30 pm, opening fire on unarmed villagers and claiming four lives on Monday.

Eight people sustained injuries during the incident and were admitted to Raj Medicity Hospital. Angry villagers burned down four Maruti Gypsies in which the armed miscreants came to the village for what is believed to be associated with ransom collection.

However, the miscreants run away, abandoning their vehicles. A curfew has been imposed in all valley districts and Chief Minister N Biren Singh made a video appeal to the public to remain calm. He promised that the culprits would not be spared.

Immediately after the incident, the situation became volatile as rumours spread fast and the situation threatened to turn communal. However, civil society organisations, local MLAs, and club organisations came forward to defuse the tension.

Currently, the situation is under control, however, the local people are forming a joint action committee and they will put forward some demands to the state government.

Victim families, most of them from poor economic backgrounds, were left devastated.

Civil society organisations, including COCOMI and AMMOCOC, condemned the incident and called for justice.