Village chief kidnapped by unidentified persons

IMPHAL, April 5: The village Chief of Tumnoupokpi under Kangpokpi police station of Senapati District  has been reportedly kidnapped  at gun point by three unidentified armed persons around 9.30 pm

According to a police source, the village Chief is identified as H Khangba (62) of Tumnoupokpi village which  is around 3 km south of the police station. Persons said to be speaking Kuki dialect were among the kidnappers but they professed that they were cadres of NSCN(IM) and would talk to him about food and lodging  of the cadres.

Though there has been no report with the police from the Chief's family or the village, the police has registered a suo-motto case and made an inquiry into the matter by going to the scene of the crime.

Police along with Assam Rifles are trying to trace the Village Chief by conducting search operations, the source said.

NNN adds:
Family members of H Khangba, President of the Thangal Naga Union (TNU) said that four armed men identified themselves as cadres of the NSCN-IM came to their house at around 9:30 pm and took him away saying they need to interrogate him on a certain matter. When H Khangba's wife protested, one of the armed men tried to pull the trigger of his weapon pointing at her.

According to sources quoting H Khangba's wife, the armed men though claimed to be NSCN-IM cadres, but the accent they spoke in Manipuri was not that of the Nagas.

Meanwhile, another source quoting H Khangba's family members said a different hill based militant outfit had called up  H Khangba's wife today demanding Rs 40 lakh for the release of her husband. However, this news is yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, Naga Peoples' Organisation (NPO), Senapati District Students' Association (SDSA) and other Senapati based NGOs have strongly condemned the kidnapping of H Khangba, the president of Thangal Naga Union.

A shut-down in Senapati district is likely tomorrow as there is every posibility that a sit-in-protest will be carried out in Senapati bazar tomorrow.