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New Delhi: The Centre has assigned a three-member commission to probe the ethnic violence in Manipur. Former Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court Ajai Lamba will lead the team of retired bureaucrat Himanshu Shekhar Das and former Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau Aloka Prabhakar.
The violence that started at the beginning of May has killed over 80 people.
Right after Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Manipur, the ministry issued a notification saying that the Commission will look into the spread and causes of the violence as well as the events that led to the riots. The three-member team will also investigate whether any lapses of duty or inadequacy of administrative measures took place on the part of officials.
The final report will be submitted within six months.
The violence started on May 3 after a tribal solidarity march in protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. After Kuki tribe villagers were evicted from reserve forest land, another set of clashes erupted. Both communities have been blaming each other for the violence. The Kuki tribals have been demanding a CBI probe.