The skeletal remains of Ngangom Nevy, which were found at Sokom village, Chandel district on January 31, 2024, were finally laid to rest at Kakching Machin Manao ching, Kakching district on Tuesday.
17-year-old Ngangom Nevy hails from Sugnu Awang Mandop Leikai and went missing on May 28, 2023 and since then, had remained at large. He was reportedly killed by suspected Kuki militants on the same day.
A video of an unknown miscreant brutally mutilating Nevy's body also surfaced online just last month. Subsequently, authorities concerned were also able to recover his body in the following days.
Family, members of the JAC and cortege of mourners flocked JNIMS mortuary in the early hours of Tuesday to take the remains of Nevy to his final resting place.
The skeletal remains were carried from JNIMS morgue to the resting place on a 'Keiren Keijao' and passed along several areas of Imphal East before continuing on NH-102 till Kakching Machin Manao ching.
Thousands lined up along the road shouting slogans, decrying the brutal murder and paying final respects to the departed young soul.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines, convenor of JAC against the brutal killing of Ngangom Nevy Aheibam Chanthoi highlighted that Nevy headed out to guard Sugnu and Serou area in Kakching district from Kuki militant attacks on 28 May last year.
"He went missing on the same day and since then had remained at large. We suspected he had been killed by Kuki militants," she said.
She noted that Nevy's last rites were performed by substituting his remains with 'Pangong' as the family and JAC were unable to recover his body.
"We saw the video of Nevy's body being mutilated and swiftly filed a complaint at Sugnu police," she said.
She stated that teams of Kakching police and Sugnu Police conducted search operations following leads from the video and finally recovered the skeletal remains near Sokom Primary School.
Later, forensics confirmed it was Nevy's body, she added.
She pointed out that the family and JAC resolved to claim the body after the chief minister assured to fulfil the demands of the JAC.
She demanded authorities to fulfil the demands swiftly and cautioned that the JAC would launch a series of intense agitations if they failed to do so.
It may be mentioned that the JAC had demanded authorities to apprehend and punish the culprits involved in Nevy's killing, to deport illegal Kuki refugees from Manipur, provide suitable government job to next of kin and substituting the Assam Rifles in Sugnu with other paramilitary forces.
Meanwhile, the dead body of Ningthoujam Manisana Singh, 31, S/o. (L) N. Jilangamba Singh of Sangaithel Maning Leikai, Imphal West District, who was recovered from Monglham in Kangpokpi district on Sunday, was handed over to family members on Monday at around 11.58 am.
Around 300 people including the family members of the deceased took the body from JNIMS to their residence around 1.40 pm. Thousands of people attended the last rites of the deceased conducted at Sangaithel Maning Leikai and concluded peacefully at around 4.40 pm.
