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Manipur: Displaced girl, 7, found dead under a bridge; suspect confess to rape, murder
A 28-year-old man arrested in connection with the disappearance of the minor confessed to abducting, raping and killing the girl, polcie said.
Imphal : A seven-year-old girl, displaced in the aftermath of the ethnic strife in Manipur and who went missing from a relief camp on Sunday, was found dead in Imphal East district, police said.
A 28-year-old man arrested in connection with the disappearance of the minor confessed to abducting, raping and killing the girl, polcie said.
The recovery of the body led to confrontation between protestors from the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the area and the police who had to lob teargas shells to disperse the crowd.
The girl was displaced from Moreh after clashes broke out between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities on May 3, 2023 and was living in a relief camp in Akampat area in the same district.
Officials said the minor's family members lodged a missing person complaint on Sunday at Irilbung police station in Imphal East district.
Following the complaint, police teams from Imphal East and Imphal West districts launched a coordinated search effort. Senior officers, including district chiefs, supervised the operation on the ground. Investigators scanned CCTV footage from nearby areas, which led to the identification of a suspect, who was allegedly last seen with the minor.
The accused, identified as Laishram Langamba (28), was detained for questioning. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to abducting, raping and murdering the child and disposing of the body under a bridge in Singjamei Wangma Keshtri Leikai, Imphal East, near a crematorium.
“Based on the disclosure of the accused, the body of the minor was recovered in the early hours from the indicated location. The accused has been taken into custody, and further legal proceedings are underway,” a senior police officer said in an official statement.
“We acted immediately upon receiving the complaint. Continuous search, technical analysis, and coordinated fieldwork helped us solve the case quickly,” Pooja Malani, officer-in-charge of Irilbung police station, said.
Tensions flared later in the day as IDPs from the relief camp gathered outside Irilbung police station, demanding death penalty for the accused. The protest escalated into a confrontation with security personnel, prompting police to fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
