The Manipur government on Thursday ensured the transfer of 64 bodies of victims in the ongoing Manipur violence, mostly in the first wave of violence that erupted on May 3, to their respective home districts by two helicopters arranged by the Centre.

The move follows a November 28 Supreme Court order directing the state government to ensure the dignified burial or cremation of unclaimed or unidentified bodies by mid-December.

Ninety-four bodies of Kuki-Zo and Meitei victims lay in three hospitals of Manipur of the 175 killed till October 21, triggering concern over how long the bodies would be kept. Of the 94 bodies, 88 were unclaimed and six unidentified.

So far, at least 194 people have been killed and over 67,000 displaced from both communities.

The bodies could not be claimed because people from the Imphal valley could not travel to the hills or the hill people could not travel to the valley because of “security reasons” and the “growing distrust” between the warring Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities since May 3.

A senior police official told The Telegraph that 41 bodies were taken to Churachandpur and 19 to Kangpopki from two Imphal hospitals. Four bodies were flown from Churachandpur district hospital to Imphal.

The bodies flown to Churachandpur and Kangpokpi were those of Kuki-Zo victims and those flown from Churachandpur were of Meitei victims, he said.

“We have completed the process of transporting the bodies in two helicopters arranged by the MHA. The Kuki-Zo organisations will be holding a mass burial at designated spots. The bodies in Churchandpur hospital are mainly of Kuki-Zo people from the same district,” he said.

The Kuki-Zo mostly live in the hills and are predominantly Christians. The Meitei mostly live in the valley and are predominantly Hindus.