The bodies of the 10 armed men killed in a gunfight in Manipur have not been handed over to the representatives of the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar groups, leading to an apparent deadlock with the Manipur government.

The suspected militants were killed on November 11 in retaliatory fire when they allegedly attacked an outpost of the Central Reserve Paramilitary Force and a police station in Jiribam where the displaced people from the Meitei community were taking shelter. The police said two relief camp residents were later found dead while six other Meiteis, including an infant, are missing.

Representatives of the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar outfits alleged that the Manipur government is stalling because it does not want them to transport the bodies to Churachandpur by road as it would give the groups “political mileage”.

The bodies of the Hmar men were sent for post mortem in the Silchar Medical College and Hospital in neighbouring Assam.

While the autopsies of six bodies were done on November 12, the remaining were carried out on November 14. According to Kuki-Zomi-Hmar representatives, the government is delaying the hand-over of bodies, citing the need for DNA tests to be carried out for identification.

“The bodies have already been identified, so we don’t understand the need for a DNA test,” said Lalri...