Imphal: In a tragic incident, suspected armed Kuki assailants killed 59-year-old Soibam Sharatkumar, a resident of Sorok Atingbi Khunou, Jiribam District, on Thursday. Since the outbreak of violence in Manipur on May 3, 2023, Jiribam District had remained peaceful despite being home to various communities. However, this latest incident has gripped the district with tension, leading to arson and fears of further communal conflict.
Reliable sources said that Sharatkumar, along with his wife and son, had visited their farm at Jairolpokpi on Thursday around 4 PM. While his wife and son returned home, Sharatkumar stayed behind to fix the farm’s fencing. When he did not return home and his phone was found switched off, concerned locals began a search. Sharatkumar’s two-wheeler and footwear were found near a CRPF camp at Uchathol, Jiribam, indicating his abduction from that spot.
His lifeless body was discovered around 7:40 PM in a bush in the Nunkhal area, approximately four kilometres away from where he was abducted. His neck had been slit with a sharp tool. The news of Sharatkumar’s death ignited violence in Jiribam, leading to arson attacks. Meitei people in Mongbung Khul have abandoned their homes and are now sheltering at LP School in Chingdong-Leikai, Jiribam. One Meitei house in Nunkhal and a farmhouse in Leisabithol were also reportedly set ablaze by unknown miscreants.
In response to the escalating violence, the District Magistrate has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, enforcing a curfew to prevent further incidents.
Jiribam MLA Md. Ashab Uddin has condemned the murder of Soibam Sharatkumar and expressed his condolences to the bereaved family. In a video release, MLA Md. Ashab Uddin recalled that a peace committee was formed at the Jiribam SP Office, comprising members from all communities residing in the district, to maintain peace amidst the Manipur violence.
He urged the Peace Committee to persist in their efforts to sustain peace in the district. Furthermore, he called on all Meira Paibi women, students’ unions, civil society organizations (CSOs), representatives of local and urban bodies, and political parties to unite in the pursuit of peace.