Curfew relaxed for eight hours in violence-hit Imphal

Imphal, Feb 23 (ANI): Curfew has been relaxed for eight hours in Imphal from 9:00 a.m this morning.

Arrangements are being made to hand over the bodies of the three slain officials which were lying at the mortuary of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, since February 17.

Post mortem of the bodies has already been performed.

However, bodies are yet to be received by the families seeking for a combined cremation of the three bodies.

An indefinite curfew was imposed on Thursday following violence by the locals protesting against the murder of three State Government employees in Ukhrul district by some unknown miscreants.

Earlier, the Joint Action Committee submitted a charter of demands to State Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, which includes immediate prosecution of the former Deputy Commissioner, Ukhrul, the arrest of culprits and the release of three government employees.

The Joint Action Committee refused to take the bodies that are now lying at a mortuary in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences campus till their demands are met.

Y Kapoor Singh, the Convenor of the Joint Action Committee Manipur said, "From the media, we have learnt that the Chief Minister has suspended the Superintendent of Police and Deputy Commissioner. That is not what we wanted. They are making a mockery of democracy, bargaining the lives of people of the State and taking undue advantage of everything. They cannot tempt the public with money."

In a statement, the NSCN (IM) denied their link to the murder of the three government employees. (ANI)