SILCHAR: Manipur police airlifted Saturday the bodies of 10 Hmar men killed in a CRPF operation in Jiribam on November 11, following clashes between protesters from the Kuki-Hmar community and Assam police outside Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH).
The Kuki-Hmar community disputes the “militant” label assigned to the deceased, describing them as village volunteers.
The bodies were transported to Silchar for autopsy after Jiribam authorities cited difficulties in sending them to Imphal due to ethnic tensions.
Protesters, including grieving family members, gathered outside the hospital and demanded custody of the bodies to perform final rites.
Following warnings from Assam police about legal consequences, protesters allowed Manipur police to take the bodies after performing brief rituals at the hospital’s mortuary.