Manipur police on Monday nabbed the prime suspect of the bizarre incident of stealing a dead body from a village cemetery. Superintendent of Tegnoupal district police, Th. Vikramjit said a team of police arrested the suspect who allegedly dug out the grave of late D. Thamnok Lamkang, the former chief of Challong village and stole the dead body along with the coffin.

The 90-year-old deceased village chief passed away on May 18 and was buried on May 20 this year.  On June 15, when SK. Shomlun, the wife of the deceased, went to the cemetery to pay homage to her late husband, she found out that her husband’s grave was dug and the coffin along with the dead body was found missing. SDK. Shomlun informed the Challong Village Authority and after searching in and around the village, Mrs. Shomlun reported the matter to the Tegnoupal district police on June 19 and an FIR registered.

Following the bizarre incident, several civil society organization and the Lamkang Chiefs’ Association have staged protest demonstration, including shutdown strikes along the international highway that pass through Tegnoupal district, demanding the authority to book the culprits involved in stealing dead body along with coffin.

“In the course of the investigation, the police team managed to arrest the prime accused who was directly involved in the case,” the SP said. He further added that the police are hopeful of recovering the dead body very soon with search operation going on at places where the dead body could have been hidden.