Bodies of the two women, suspected to have been murdered and left at two different locations in Assam along Mariani-Titabor road have been identified.

One of the relatives who had gone to Jorhat to claim the bodies told Nagaland Post over the phone that the two were-- A. Tiakala (27), daughter of late Alemkaba Phom of Yaongyimchen (Alayong) village, Longleng and Benthang Phom (40), daughter of Pongthet, also of Yaongyimchen (Alayong) village, Longleng.

The victims’ relatives along with Longleng district authority reached Jorhat Medical College Hospital Friday evening and identified the bodies.

Family sources told Nagaland Post that both were self employed women. One of the two victims, Tiakala who was running a ‘pan shop’ went to Haluating town in Assam to purchase commodities for her shop on August 7 along with Benthang Phom.

According another statement issued by Er. Temsu Wathi Ao, DIO (NIC) DC’s Office, Mokokchung & coordinator, Border Peace Coordination Committee (Assam-Nagaland), on August 7, Tiakala had last contacted her brother at Yaongyimchen village on the phone informing that she and Benthang have safely reached Haluating town and that they would be returning home the same night. However, her phone remained switched off from 7 p.m. onwards.

Thereafter, they two went missing. After the recovery of the bodies on Wednesday night, Assam police kept the bodies at the Jorhat Medical College mortuary for identification.

According to relatives, identification of the victims was immediate only after photos of the bodies were published in Nagaland Post on Friday. The bodies would have remained in the mortuary and probably disposed off had identification not been made in time.

After formally handing over the bodies, relatives brought back the bodies to Yaongyimchen. A team of police personnel led by Yantsula Yimchunger SI were deputed to Jorhat from Longleng to assist the victims’ relatives. Sources also informed Nagaland Post that the complete post mortem report was expected only after August 15.

Wathi further said several civil society organizations in Assam have expressed shock and condemned the “brutal torture and killing of innocent women”.

They demanded immediate arrest of the culprit(s) and a probe into the incident. The Jorhat and Mariani Naga union have also expressed deep resentment over the incident and offered condolences to the aggrieved families.

PSC condemns
Tuensang correspondent adds: Phom Students Conference (PSC) Friday vehemently condemned the “barbaric act” meted out to the two innocent women who went to Assam for “business purpose”. PSC urged responsible authorities to book the culprit(s) and bring justice at the earliest.

It also conveyed condolence to the bereaved family members and prayed that God grant solace to the departed souls.