KANGPOKPI, Apr.3: In a heartbreaking scene today at RIMS mortuary, the family members, friends, relatives, and the members of JAC claimed the dead body of the slain juvenile Seigunlal Misao, who was mercilessly shot dead on March 25 evening at Motbung model village.
The deceased Seigunlal Misao was a Class XII student of Damdei Christian College who had just finished appearing in the Higher Secondary Examination conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur and the only born-child of Lenkhothang Misao and Lhingkhochong Misao of Motbung’s Sharon veng in Kangpokpi district.
Following the Manipur Government’s decision to hand over the brutal murder of Gideon Seigunlal Misao case to the National Investigation Agency, the JAC had decided to claimed the dead body of Seigunlal Misao, which had been lying unclaimed for 9 days after his merciless killing on March 25 evening.
The lifeless body of Gideon Seigunlal Misao arrived at his Motbung residence at 1:00 pm today and he was put to rest at Motbung Model Village cemetery as per the Christian funeral norms or tradition.
A mourning ceremony was held at the deceased residence at Sharon Veng in Motbung Model Village by thousands of mourners from across Kangpokpi district before the funeral event at the village cemetery.
The JAC Convenor, Paominlal Lhouvum said that as we are convinced that the state Government is very much serious in the brutal murder of Seigunlal Misao by handing over the case to the National Investigation Agency we have finally decided to claim the dead body of Seigunlal Misao to put him to rest today.
He also maintained that handing over the case of Seigunlal Misao to the NIA by the state Government demonstrated the commitment and seriousness of the state Government under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in bringing justice towards the brutal murder of Seigunlal Misao and we are very grateful and satisfied with the Government’s decision.
He also said that we have faith in the NIA and we hope it will definitely bring justice.
Meanwhile, the JAC Convenor also said that we will pursue the official understanding signed between the state Government and the JAC and we hope that the ex-gratia and compassionate appointment will be delivered soon by the Government as agreed.
Despite attempting to talk with the deceased family, they are not in a position to talk at this hour of pain and grief.
It may be worth recalling the sequence of the incidents over the brutal murder of Gideon Seigunlal Misao.
A Class XII student of Damdei Christian College, Taloulong who had just finished appearing in his Higher Secondary Examination was mercilessly shot dead by arms miscreants near his residence at Sharon Veng Motbung Model village at 8:30 pm on March 25.
Enraged mobs disrupted the movement of vehicles along the national highway-2 by blocking the road moment after the incident.
The Joint Action Committee was formed on March 26 in connection with the brutal killing of Seigunlal Misao.
On March 27, the JAC met Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and the State Government signed an Official Understanding to provide an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakhs and compassionate appointment of eligible next of kin of the deceased in a suitable post under the Government and the JAC agreed not to resort to agitation and claimed the dead body kept at RIMS Morgue, Imphal.
A few hours later after the signing of the official understanding, an outlawed militant, the National Revolutionary Front Manipur claimed responsibility for the brutal murder of Seigunlal Misao with an accusation of Seigunlal Misao a drug peddler.
Late in the evening of the same day, the NRFM allegation infuriated not only the mobs but the student community of Kangpokpi district which compelled the JAC to take a U-turn on its decision to claim the dead body and not to resort to agitation and took a firm decision not to claim the dead body.
Then, from March 31 the student community in Kangpokpi district resorted to a peaceful democratic sit-in-protest under the aegis of the JAC.
In a big development over the case, the state Government on April 2 afternoon handed over the brutal murder of the Seigunlal Misao case to the National Investigation Agency and following which the JAC decided to claim the dead body and put him to rest amidst thousands of mourners.
