Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 22 2009:
In an icident that is as shocking as it is abhorrent, a 66 year old man has been beaten to death by some unidentified persons who claimed that they are led by one Rajen of KCP-MC (Sangai group) in connection with a monetary demand.
The assailants also burned down the paddy field of the victim which was ready for harvesting.
The incident took place at Nungpakthabi under Sekmai police station today.
The deceased has been identified as Ngangom Kuber of Chingmeirong Khongnang Karak.
According to relatives of Kuber, he and his wife Bhanu having no issue used to stay at their farm house at Nungpakthabi most of the time.
Their acquaintance with the local people was so close that Bhanu was elected Member of Nungpakthabi Gram Panchayat.
Kuber and Bhanu were thrashed severely earlier on October 21 too by some men led by one who identified himself as Rajen of KCP-MC (Sangai group) for a demand of Rs three lakhs.
Having sustained severe injuries including fracture on the right hand, Bhanu gave Rs one lakh to the same group and went to Guwahati for treatment.
Kuber went to Nungpakthabi to reap paddy together with around 30 people this morning.
Soon after they reached the paddy field, two unidentified men armed with heavy weapons arrived there and asked Kuber and four other to go with them.
They also fired two rounds in the air.
The other five persons were Ngangom Jibani Devi (40), Tayenjam Manitombi, Thiyam Ibecha and the driver of the mini-truck they fired.
The unidentified persons took them away at gun point in a Tata DI hijacked from there.
After parking the vehicle at the foothills of Mapaoching, they (including driver of the hijacked DI) were forced to climb the hill on foot.
All along the away, the armed persons thrashed and abused them with harsh words.
Even as the other five had reached the hill-top, the one of armed youth and Kuber who was walking hindmost did not arrive for about 10 minutes.
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At about 3.45 pm, the youth who was walking with Kuber arrived at the hill-top and asked the two drivers to accompany him.
The drivers returned back with Kuber clinging on to them after around 30 minutes.
As the drivers put down Kuber, he fainted.
Even after Kuber had fainted, the armed youths went on thrashing him mercilessly.
Kuber succumbed shortly after.
At this point, the assailants asked the other captives to go away with the corpse of Kuber with a stern warning not to disclose the incident to any one.
Enraged over the brutality of the armed assailants, local people of Chingmeirong Khongnang Karak staged a protest demonstration at Kuber's residential gate keeping the corpse in front of them.
They put up placards which read as "we condemn the murder", "who is Rajen of KCP-MC (Sangai group) ?", "book and punish the killers" etc.
They also blocked one side of NH 39 near Chingmeirong Khongnang Karak.
The protesters demanded that the insurgency movement be suspended immediately if it is for extortion of money rather than liberation.
Later police picked up the corpse and deposited at RIMS mortuary.