Several culprits held for killing 2 Manipuri youths which led to violent protests: CM

Several people were arrested in connection with the "kidnapping and killing" of two Manipuri youths, which led to violent protests in the northeastern state last week, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said here on Sunday.

The government will ensure the maximum punishment, including the death penalty, for them, Singh said.

''I'm pleased to share that some of the main culprits responsible for the abduction and murder of Phijam Hemanjit and Hijam Linthoingambi have been arrested from Churachandpur today. ''As the saying goes, one may abscond after committing the crime, but they cannot escape the long hands of the law. We are committed to ensuring maximum punishment, including capital punishment, for the heinous crime they have committed,'' the chief minister posted on X.

The two youths, a man and a girl, had gone missing on July 6. Photos of their bodies surfaced on September 25.

Following this, violent protests by students rocked the state capital on September 26 and 27. A mob tried to attack the ancestral house of the chief minister on the night of September 28, but security forces foiled the attempt.

Another mob also vandalised the deputy commissioner's office in Imphal West district and torched two four-wheelers in the early hours of the same day.