Two tribal militants who allegedly kidnapped a driver and held him captive demanding a ransom from a woman in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district have been arrested on Tuesday, a police press handout said on Wednesday.
It is said that the woman brought fish in a van to the district headquarters market. As she could not pay the illegal tax demanded by the extortionists, the driver was whisked away. They said he would be released only when the amount was paid.
A police team led by Inspector Henminthang Kipgen, station house officer of the Kangpokpi police station, arrested the two militants on Tuesday evening from the market area. They are said to be cadres of Kuki National Front (KNF), a militant organisation which had signed the Suspension of Operations with the government. The KNF cadres who had come overground should not resort to kidnapping and extortions among others activities. Two days ago one youth was gunned down in this district by another group in violation of the ground rules of the Suspension of Operations.
Police identified the arrested militants as Kaihohao Kipgen aka John, 36, a self-styled corporal of the KNF and self-styled private Ngamgothang Selthou, 33, both of the Kangpokpi district. Police have registered a case against them.
