Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Imphal: A shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Ulubari, Guwahati, claimed five lives on October 26. The dead include Rinika Bharali, her husband Debarshi Bharali, her mother-in-law, her uncle, and their driver. The violence cut short a homecoming journey. Rinika had planned to travel from Assam to Manipur in November for the Ningol Chakouba festival.
Friends and family held a condolence gathering at Gopinath Mandap in Yaiskul Hiruhanba Leikai to mourn the victims. Rinika’s sister, Rebika Hijam, demanded immediate action from the authorities. She remains shaken by the brutality of the event. “My lovely sister is gone. We cannot bring my sister and her family back. We are speechless that my sister had to face such an unimaginable incident. What else can we say now except to seek swift justice?” she said.
Rinika and her family maintained close ties despite the distance between Assam and Manipur. Their mother, Hijam Radhe, traveled to see them three times a year. Rinika last visited Imphal in March to mark her father’s death anniversary. Now, those plans are dust. The family is left to process the loss of the second of three siblings as they call for a thorough investigation.
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