New Delhi, Jan 2 (PTI) Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani on Tuesday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh calling for a judicial inquiry into the killing of four people in Manipur.

Four villagers were gunned down on Monday by unidentified assailants in the minority-dominated Lilong Chingjao area in Manipur's Thoubal district.

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In a statement, Jamiat (Mahmood Madani faction) said the victims -- Muhammad Daulat (30), M Sirajuddin (50), Muhammad Azad Khan (40), and Muhammad Hussain (22) -- were members of the Meiti Pangal community, living in an area that had, until recently, remained unaffected by the ethnic conflict between Meiti and Kuki groups.

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"Unfortunately, these innocent Muslims are now paying the price for the state government's failure to tame the violence even after the passage of 8 months since the violence began in the state," the Muslim body said.

Mahmood Madani in the letter has urged the two leaders to take decisive action against the perpetrators of this "heinous crime," the Jamiat said.

Stressing the government's paramount responsibility to safeguard the lives and property of all citizens, Madani called for a high-level judicial inquiry into the incident, including allegations of attempted extortion.

Madani also appealed for compensation for the families of the dead and medical assistance for those injured in the attack.

According to the government officials, on Monday, some cadres of the banned People's Liberation Army (PLA) arrived at the house of a person, who has several narcotics cases pending against him.

Within minutes, hundreds of people gathered outside the house of the suspected narcotic dealer in Lilong Chingjao village, 15 km from the Thoubal district headquarters, and chased away the PLA cadres.

While on the run, the PLA cadres opened indiscriminate fire at the locals, killing four, and injuring a few others.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)