IMPHAL, July 7: A 21-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by his former girlfriend during a confrontation in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Sunday afternoon, police said. The tragic incident occurred in Thanga Ithing, when an attempt to resolve a lingering personal dispute escalated into violence.
The victim has been identified as Meitei Salai Thiyam, also known as Leo, a resident of Palace Compound, Govindajee Road, in Imphal East. The accused, Loitongbam Pinky Devi (20) of Kwakeithel Konjeng Leikai, Imphal West, reportedly stabbed him with knife during a heated argument. She was accompanied by a male friend, Leishangthem Lanchenba (20) of Hiyangthang Makha Leikai, at the time of the incident.
According to the police, the meeting was pre-arranged to clear the air over past issues. Salai had arrived at the location with four friends, while Pinky and Lanchenba came to the meeting site together. During the confrontation, tensions escalated, leading to a physical altercation.
Lanchenba, who later provided a statement to police, said Pinky pulled a knife from her side bag and stabbed Salai in the back. Police confirmed that the knife had been in her possession since the previous day.
One of Salai’s friends, Kelvin, who was present at the scene, recalled the moment. “We came together to clarify things with Pinky. I kept some distance to let them talk freely. But during the argument, she suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed him. It happened so fast, I couldn’t stop it,” he said.
Following the attack, Salai was rushed to Asian Hospital in Kwakeithel, Imphal West, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after. His body was later transferred to RIMS Hospital for post-mortem examination.
In a significant development, both Pinky and Lanchenba surrendered voluntarily at Nambol Police Station, handing over the knife used in the stabbing. A case has been registered at Keibul Police Station, and an investigation is currently underway to determine the exact motive and circumstances leading up to the fatal incident.
