Imphal, October 09 2009: Two brothers, who were apprehended by a combined security force team on October 6 evening as follow-up measure related to an encounter at Leimaram and nearby areas recently have been released on october 7 .

Talking to newspersons today, elders of Sadu Chiru village said security personnel belonging to the Bishnupur district police commando unit and Army troops hauled up TD Sunchoilen (35) and his younger sibling TD Nijanding (s/o Jajinkung) from the village at about 4 pm of October 6 .

The combined team reportedly charged the brothers of harbouring arms/weapons handed over by underground cadres involved in the Leimaram shoot-out in addition to holding the villagers guilty of not informing presence of armed activists.

With the villagers, mainly womenfolk, pleading innocence of the brothers and trying to prevent the security team from taking them away a brief scuffle broke out that led to injury of some of the women.

Before the combined team who came in seven heavy vehicles managed to haul away the brothers, the agitated women folk were butted and caned resulting in chest wound suffered by one Lamneihoi (37) and Thoitoknei (31).Five others also sustained minor injuries, the villagers said.

the next morning Sadu Chiru villagers approached Bishnupur police station and demanded release of the brothers which was conceded at late evening of the same day, they maintained.

While appreciating release of the duo, the village elders expressed strong resentment that even innocent civilians have to face wrath of the security force. A shoot-out with KYKL-MDF cadres that began on october 3 evening at near Leimaram Shanti keithel continued sporadically till dawn of the next day.

In all five persons, including three cadres of the armed outfit were slain in the encounter besides recovering large cache of arms and ammunition from around the encounter sites.

moreover, in subsequent police operation four persons have been taken into custody in connection with the encounter.