Manipur Govt bid to trace KYKL hostages

IMPHAL, Dec 27 — Manipur government has launched hectic efforts to trace five kidnaped persons, including a deputy secretary, even as underground Kanglei Yawol Kaan Lup (KYKL) claimed that the men were in their custody an would be ‘executed’ for indulging in corrupt practices, reports PTI. Extra security had been provided to Manipur Minister for Education Manirudin Sheikh who was also under threat from the underground outfit, which had earlier shot at and injured the former direction of education A Shamungou for alleged involvement in corruption, official sources said. Security personnel were deployed at specific places to intercept the movement of the ultras, the sources said. Besides Kh Raghumani, the deputy secretary for education, search was also on for the minister’s personal security officer Nashir Ahmed, they said. KYKL said in a statement that the five were in its custody and would be ‘executed’ on December 31. Sheikh would also be ‘eliminated’ for the same reason. The decision to execute the five —Ningombam Shyamchoron, Oinam Priyo Kumar and Sagolsem Ranjit besides Raghumani and Ahmed was taken at KYKL’s central executive committee recently, the statement said. It alleged that the five men were involved in ‘backdoor recruitment’ for the posts of block research coordinator for the centrally-sponsored ‘Sharva Shiksha Abhiyan’ project. Sheikh and Raghumani took bribes of Rs 1.26 lakh and Rs 70,000 respectively from 36 project officers. Sheikh was not available for this comments.