Shillong, September 19: The final rites for Indian Army soldier Serto Thangthang Kom took place in his ancestral village, Litan, located in Manipur’s Chandel district on Tuesday.
The ceremony was conducted with full military honors and witnessed by family members, a significant number of villagers, as well as officers from the Army, Assam Rifles, and district administration.
As per IANS, Serto, a 49-year-old Defense Service Corps (DSC) personnel, was abducted by three armed men from his residence in Tarung, Happy Valley, Imphal West district, at gunpoint on Saturday. Tragically, his bullet-riddled body was discovered at Khuningthek Village East in Imphal East district on Sunday.
He leaves behind his wife, a daughter, and a son.
The Manipur government has established a one-man Inquiry Commission led by Inspector General of Police, Zone-1, Themthing Ngashangva, to investigate the killing of the Indian Army soldier. The inquiry report is expected to be submitted to the government within one month.
In response to the tragic incident, numerous individuals from the Kom tribe, including men and women, organized extensive protests in Imphal and other parts of the state. Kom Union Manipur President Serto Ahao Kom shared that Chief Minister N. Biren Singh held a meeting with leaders of the Kom community and the grieving family. During the meeting, the Chief Minister pledged to provide a suitable government job to the deceased soldier’s next of kin as a form of support.