The Manipur government has set up a special investigation team to look into the killings of two persons in Samurou town in the state’s Imphal West district, the Hindustan Times reported on Wednesday.
The two persons who were killed in the attack were identified as Abujam John Singh (59) and Abujam Sashikanta Tomba Singh (37). While the former was an aide of Manipur Agriculture Minister Oinam Lukhoi, the latter was a rifleman of the Indian Reserve Battalion.
The special investigation team will be headed by Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations) of the Imphal West district, M Amit Singh. Sub-Divisional Police Officer Kh Farook Ali will be the investigating officer, the state government’s order said.
The Manipur government has directed the special investigation team to submit a daily progress report to the Imphal West superintendent of police.
The police have lodged a first information report in the matter, and have invoked provisions related to murder under the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act, The Indian Express reported.
Meanwhile, the Manipur Human Rights Commission has also taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and has lodged a case in accordance with Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
The panel has directed the state Director General of Police to file an action taken report within three days.
On Monday, state Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Lukhoi visited the families of the deceased. The chief minister condemned the killings and said that the guilty persons will be brought to justice.
“It [the killings] must be the handiwork of those who don’t want peace,” N Biren Singh had said, according to The Times of India. “We will work round the clock to arrest the culprits and punish them according to the law.
On Monday, the Imphal West superintendent of police had told Scroll.in that preliminary investigation has not ascertained if the attack was an instance of pre-poll violence.
The 60 seats in Manipur will go to polls in two phases on February 27 and March 3. The results will be announced on March 10.
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