Meherpur, Purnachandapur and Srinarayanpur villages in Aila-hit Patharpratima block of South 24-Parganas received the bodies of three of their residents, who were gunned down by militants in Manipur on June 12, where they were working as contract labourers. The bodies reached the villages late on Saturday night and were cremated on Sunday morning.

The bodies of Dilip Mondal, Jagannath Mondal and Gourango Mondal had earlier arrived in Kolkata and were taken to Patharpratima by Sunderbans Minister Kanti Ganguly.

Another deceased Subodh Mistry, a resident of Behala, was cremated yesterday.

Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the killings and said: “It is very unfortunate.”

Patharpratima’s CPM MLA Jogeswar Das said he will approach the chief minister for assistance for the deceased’s families.

Forty-two labourers of other states have been killed in Manipur since February 2008, said a police officer. Senior officers of the Manipur force said the June 12 killings could be the handiwork of either the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) or the United National Liberation Front (UNLF).

“Some of the killings have been linked to the UNLF, who shot migrant labourers claiming them to be outsiders. The PREPAK, however, killed labourers to warn the contractors not to defy their extortion demands. We are investigating both angles,” Imphal (west) Superintendent of Police L Kailun told The Indian Express over phone.

To ensure safety for labourers from other states, the administration has moved 200 of them to two camps in central Imphal. “They are being provided with food, water and medicines in the camps. But the camps cannot be run forever. It’s not possible to protect every person. We have issued an advisory that non-locals should try to remain near crowded areas and police stations,” Kailun added.

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