Manipur violence: Eyewitnesses recount Jiribam kidnapping incident

Recounting the brutal and tragic incident that took place in Jiribam on November 11, the 14-year-old son of one of the deceased Telem Thoibi, said he was in the house with his mother when the armed militants arrived in the village.

Recalling the fateful day, the boy who is in 6th standard narrates the horrific incident he witnessed.

"On that day, I was staying with my family when the attack happened. My mother had just returned after taking a bath. We saw Kuki militants arriving in auto-rickshaws. They started firing, and in panic, I hid under the bed. The militants fired towards our house, and then two of them kicked open the door and called out for all to come out. Four militants entered the house," the young boy said.

"I was grabbed outside by one of them, who held me by the wrist and pointed a gun at me. I managed to shrug off his grip, but they hit me on the chin with the rifle butt. It caused some swelling, but it's healed now. I ran as fast as I could, and they fired at me, but fortunately, I wasn't hit," he continued.

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The boy further said, "My mother and the others had no chance to escape. They were taken at gunpoint. I saw them being led away towards the Barak River. CRPF chased after them in a Casspir, but by the time they reached the river, the militants had already crossed, and the CRPF couldn't pursue them any further."

His younger brother, who is 12 years old, said he was hiding at a paddy field with his uncle and aunt when his mother and sister were taken away by the armed militants.

"I saw men and women coming towards us. I was just four houses away from the house where my mother was staying. I managed to run and hide myself along with my aunt and uncle in a paddy field while the militants came shouting using slangs at Meiteis", said the younger brother.

"My mother and sister were at gunpoint. I saw them from thr paddy field. I was gripped by my uncle when I cried," said the 12-year-old boy.

The brothers lost their mother, younger sister, grandmother, aunt and two cousins, who were abducted & killed by suspects identified as "Kuki militants" by the state government.

The six people killed, belong to the same family, include women and children: Yurembam Rani Devi (60), Telem Thoibi Devi (31), Telem Thajamanbi Devi (8), Laishram Heitonbi Devi (25), Laishram Chingkheinganba Singh (2.5), and a 10-month-old infant, Laishram Langamba Singh.

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On November 11, the militants, who arrived in auto-rickshaws, opened fire indiscriminately, and set fire to several houses and shops, besides targeting relief camps, police station and CRPF camp at Jiribam's Borobekra area that left 10 of them dead.

The violence left a trail of devastation, with two elderly victims, identified as Laishram Barel Singh (63) and Maibam Kesho Singh (71), burned alive in their homes, apart from the abduction of three children and three women, who were found dead later.

In the days following the incident, the decomposed bodies of the kidnapped individuals were found, showing signs of severe violence.

Post-mortem reports revealed multiple gunshot injuries, stab wounds, and blunt force trauma. The bodies had fractured skulls, missing eyes, and deep lacerations across the chest, face, and arms.

On November 12, police discovered the bodies of two Meetei elder men, one completely charred and the other partially burnt.

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An autopsy report revealed that Maibam Kesho had soot (fine carbon) particles in his trachea, which indicated that the victim had inhaled smoke and had thus been burnt alive.

The most harrowing discovery was the body of the 10-month Laishram Langamba, who was found with his head severed.

The child showed signs of severe physical abuse, including bruises on the face and chest, lacerations on the jaw, chop wounds on the chest and sternum and bullet wounds.

Following huge public uproar, the state government transferred the case to National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with two other cases.