Imphal, December 26 2009: Police have arrested two persons in connection with the incident of lynching two persons by infuriated local people of Nongbrang in retaliation to causing injuries to three womenfolk in firing by armed cadres allegedly belonging to the Kuki National Front (KNF-P) even as a Nongbrang organisation has stuck to its earlier stand that those killed in the said incident are KNF-P activists.

Demanding release of the two arrested persons or they too be taken into custody, womenfolk of Nongbrang and its surrounding areas stormed Yairipok police station yesterday afternoon.

Wangjam Bijoy (44) s/o late Hemo of Tera Urak and Maibam Ojit (20) s/o Angojao of the same locality were arrested by the police on December 23 and remanded in police custody in connection with the lynching incident.

In protest against their arrest, the agitated womenfolk of the area stormed Yairipok Police Station at around 1 pm yesterday.

Police resorted to firing tear gas canisters to disperse the agitating womenfolk.

It may be recalled here that Pukhrihongbam Ongbi Memcha Devi (40), Nameirakpam Ongbi Maloti Devi (40) and Akoijam Ongbi Mema Devi (40), all residents of Nongbrang sustained injuries when suspected armed cadres of KNF (P), which is a signatory of Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Centre and the State Government, opened fire at a group of protestors who were demonstrating against the monetary demand of the outfit in the afternoon of December 22 .

The angry protestors immediately chased the attackers and rounded up two of them identified as Paosat Kipgen (25) of Bongbal Khullen and Paolenlal Chongloi of Keithelmanbi Military Colony who were subsequently lynched.

Family members of the deceased, however, claimed that the duo were innocent students pursuing their studies at Shillong.

One of the deceased was also claimed to be an office bearers of KSO Shillong.

KNF (P) have also asserted that the lynched victims were not its cadres.

Meanwhile, rejecting the charges levelled against the people of Nongbrang by Movement for Tribal Peoples' Rights, Manipur (MTPRM) as baseless, Nongbrang Thumkhong Lairembi Youth Club has pointed out that people of Nongbrang and its surrounding villages have been living under the atrocities committed by KNF (P) cadres for the last many years.

Apart from collecting taxes from every vehicle plying in the area, there have been numerous instances in which armed cadres of the Kuki outfit snatched mobile phones from the people, threatening the villagers against rearing dogs in the family, demanding Rs 1000 from each of the labourers engaged in quarry activities, forcing the villagers to construct bridge over the river for the use of the armed cadres and demanding supply of rice, cereal, sugar, etc from shops of Nongbrang area.

Unable to bear with these demands and atrocities, the Meira Paibis of the area called a bandh since 6 am on December 22.During the course of the bandh, one Maruti Van with no registration plate was seen coming along with one Mahindra DI.

When the Meira Paibis stopped these two vehicles, the occupants identified themselves as KNF (P) activists and insisted on going ahead.

But the Meira Paibis who have prevented other vehicles as well, told the occupants to wait till the bandh was over.

Not long after the occupants made a phone call on their mobile phone and around 15 to 20 armed cadres of KNP (P), some in camouflage and the others in plain cloth arrived and opened fire at the Meira Paibis causing injuries to three Meira Paibis.

Infuriated at the conduct of the armed cadres, the local people chased after them, some of whom fled on foot while some in their vehicles.

But the two cadres who were afterward lynched by an angry mob missed to board the vehicle although they have put their arms in the vehicle.

So there is no question of killing two innocent persons by the people of Nongbrang, as both of them were KNF (P) cadres, Club general secretary N Tolen Singh said in a statement.

Tolen further informed that after the incident, one Yangmilian Kuki s/o late Khaishei Kuki of Bongbal Khullen, a Kuki village, who came across Nongbrang village, had been safely escorted upto his village gate by the people of Nongbrang.

The claim of Thoubal SSP that the two armed cadres of KNF (P) who were lynched by an angry mob were innocent persons was equally surprising, Tolen said, while questioning the SSP whether he is trying to justify wounding three Meira Paibis in the firing by armed cadres of KNF (P).

Whether or not there was any actual encounter between the IRB personnel posted at Nongpok Keithelmanbi Thoubal Barrage and the armed cadres of KNF (P) on that day could be confirmed from the said IRB post as well as from the people of the area, Tolen countered.