Imphal, November 12: In a gruesome real-life drama of cruelty and senselessness that can be described as the most inhuman crime of the millennium, the kidnappers took the life of an eight-year-old girl Lungnila Elizabeth and dropped her mortal remains packed in a gunny bag.

Lungnila Elizabeth who was studying in standard III in Little Flower School was kidnapped by unidentified persons on November 4 from the school's gate.

From the following day till the last moment, the news of her death, people of the state have been pleading to the kidnappers to release the girl safe and sound.

And from the moment of the news of her kidnapping, every citizen of the state owned her as his or hers.

As days went by Lungnila Elizabeth lived in everyone's heart and soul and prayed for her safe return to her parents, sister brother, relatives and friends.

The highly decomposed body of Lungnila Elizabeth was found today near a pit at Sadokpam Leikai.

The body was found by Sadokpam Ibomcha around 11.30 when he was felling a tree.

He immediately informed the secretary of the local club United Development Club.

After seeing the decomposed body of the girl and the green and white uniform she was wearing, Little Flower School was informed.

Teachers who went to identify the body said it was difficult to identify the body as the face was swollen.

When they saw the school badge they knew it was Lungnila Elizabeth.

The school uniform, bag and even the ribbon on her hair were intact.

Her hand was still gripping the handkerchief.

The dead body was formally identified by her school friends and teachers prior to the post mortem.

The main cause of the dead is yet to be established though many suspects strangulation.

Dr L Fimate head of the forensic department Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) who headed the post mortem at RIMS morgue said he found no prominent external injury on her body but believed that the kidnappers might have killed the child a few days after the abduction.

When the news of recovering Lungnila's body spread like wildfire, almost all sections of people living in the state were shocked with sorrow.

A galaxy of ministers, prominent public leaders and women folks filling with tears in their eyes thronged the RIMS morgue to share the sorrow of the bereaved family members.

The lifeless body of the child has been kept at her Lamphelpat residence for the last rites.

In order to control the public tension over the incident, the state authority has imposed indefinite curfew in and around the greater Imphal area from 2 pm.

Reacting to the unfortunate incident, works minister and spokesman of the SPF government Gaikhangam condemning the act of the kidnappers said, "this is beyond our imagination, condemning only in words is not enough.

Assuring that the state authority would hunt out the responsible criminals at the earliest, he further disclosed that some of the suspects were picked up and details could not be announced due to security reasons.

In another development, the United Committee Manipur, UCM has announced to observe two-day 'mass mourning' from Thursday onwards.

Talking to this correspondent Sapamcha Jadumani called upon all walks of life in the state to share, the mass mourning sparing their valuable time in the interest of innocent life.

The committee also appealed to all to join hands in finding and punishing the responsible culprits.

All India Students' Federation has also called 24 hours general strike in the state till Thursday midnight.

Almost all the apex bodies including All Manipur Students Union, All Zeliangrong Students' Union, All Naga Students Association Manipur, Kuki Students Organization, Naga Women Union Manipur and a number of social and voluntary bodies have strongly condemned the heinous crime committed by kidnappers.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers was held today presided by the Chief Minister at the CM's conference hall.

It condemned the killing and discussed me situation in the aftermath of the killing and resolved to take up action to apprehend the culprits.

The Boy Scouts and Girls Guides of Manipur North Scouts Union, Hqr.Kaibi, Mao and the children of the Training School and staff, Kaibi, Mao Senapati District, Manipur vehemently condemned the act of kidnapping innocent citzens particularly innocent child named Lungnila Elizabeth.

The Commissioner MNSU, ARAMO issued a press statement in this regard.

The Zeliangrong Youth Front (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland) in the highest, term condemned the kidnapping and killing of a school going girl.

Baby Lungnila Elizabeth a student of Class III of Little Flower School.

Kidnapping and killing of a minor girl for ransom should be condemned by each and every one as it is a cowardly and beastly act done by the kidnappers and should not be allowed to be repeated in near future in our society.

The ZYF blamed the state government for not being able to release and save the precious life of a little girl who was kidnapped on November 4 by some unidentified persons even though she was kept by her captive within the greater Imphal area the statement said.

The ZYF demanded that the state government should arrest all the culprits immediately and punish them in the highest term according to the law of the land.

The ZYF also condoled and shared the pain and sorrow of the family members of Late Lungnila Elizabeth at this juncture and prayed for the departed soul for peace.

In an emergency meeting of the Executive committee of the MUTA held on November 10, 03, the members expressed their deep anguish over the abduction of an innocent, hardly eight years old school going children, baby Elizabeth from the school premises for ransom.

This has already spread a fierce 'fear psychosis' among the students community, especially, among the school going children, and the parents and the guardians are living under a constant threat.

Needless to elaborate further that under such vicious atmosphere, where the mind is full of fear of every kind, the teaching and learning process in the entire state of Manipur is in doldrums - almost coming to a standstill, MUTA General Secretary Dr Naorem Homendra today.

MUTA strongly condemned the culture of 'abduction for ransom' in general and the case of kidnapping of Baby Elizabeth in particular.

Expressing serious concern over the recent phenomenon of using the students or the teachers as means of serving their petty pecuniary cravings, MUTA called upon the people of Manipur, irrespective of their affiliation, to defeat such 'diabolical forces' currently in operation in the state by rallying behind the present concerted effort towards frustrating and rooting out of the few aberrant elements, definitely the by-products in the society, from our midst, MUTA would leave no stone unturned in this endeavor the statement added.

The NIPCO and AMKIL today said it will support the general strike called by the AMSU.

It condemned the killing and expressed that it shares the sorrow and grief of the bereaved family.

The All India Students' Federation has called a 24-hour general strike beginning from midnight of November 12 till the midnight of November 13 to protest the killing of Lungnela Elizabeth.