Imphal, May 28: With the State Government handing over the case of the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Lungnila Elizabeth to the Central Bureau of Investigation, a team from the agency has arrived at Imphal and investigation into the murder of the school girl is on in full swing.

A reliable source informed The Sangai Express that a two member team of the CBI including an Inspector and a Sub-Inspector have arrived from Kolkata and they are currently going through the findings, reports and datum of the police at the Imphal West police station.

However the source refused to divulge the details of the investigation conducted by the CBI.

When The Sangai Express contacted a senior police officer to get some information on the progress of the investigation conducted by the CBI, the police officer refused to divulge any details, reasoning that it is still premature to say anything.

The police officer however said that the CBI team is likely to stay here for some time.

Unofficial sources said that the CBI team may soon ask people concerned, especially those who were present at the site where the body of Lungnila was found to come and give their statements that may help in cracking the case.

The CBI team may also interrogate the suspects currently in jail.

The team is also likely to visit the site where her body was found.

Lungnila Elizabeth, then aged only about 8 years, and daughter of GAD and Taxation Minister Francis Ngajokpa was kidnapped from near her school, Little Flower School, on November 4, 2003 at about 3.30 pm and her half decomposed body was found tucked inside a gunny bag on November 12 at Tera Sadokpam Leikai.

The SPF Government decided to hand over the case to the CBI after the NSCN (IM) linked the names of Speaker TN Haokip, Works Minister Gakhangam and TD Minister Ngamthang Haokip to James Kuki, the main accused in the killing of the school girl.

James Kuki is currently in the custody of the NSCN (IM).

The UNLF first blew the lid off the case when it captured one of the accused in the case, Rome and handed him over the meira paibis to do the needful.

Rome has since been handed over to the police.

Rome had named James Kuki as the master mind of the kidnapping and killing of Elizabeth.

Earlier the police had arrested another suspect Th Nando and he is currently lodged in jail.

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