Imphal, April 30: NSCN (IM) cadres abducted two BJP workers along with their drivers and left a press team to their fate at Noney last night while they heading to Tamenglong to cover the rescheduled polling.

The press team along with the two BJP workers left Imphal for Tamenglong on a Maruti van (NL04-4262) and a Mahindra Jeep (MND-942) last evening.

On reaching Noney Bazar at about 8.40, the Tamenglong bound team was stopped by some armed persons led by one Abon who identified himself as a captain of NSCN (IM) and frisked all the occupants of the two vehicles.

In the process, the two BJP workers were identified by the NSCN (IM) cadres and later taken for questioning inside a hotel.

After a while one of the BJP workers who was produced before the media persons identified himself as Laishram Tejkumar (38) of Kongba Kshetri Leikai, the secretary of the State BJP office.

Speaking in front of the media persons, Tejkumar said that he and a co-worker had been deputed to Tamenglong by the State BJP leaders for the rescheduled polling in Tamenglong dist and added that he had been instructed to contact a man called Joseph for fooding and lodging by one Ashinpou Gangmei secretary of BJP Tamenglong Nungba area.

Captain Abon who also interacted with the mediapersons informed that the two BJP workers along with the drivers and the two vehicles would be released only after the polling and further asked the media persons to return to Imphal the next morning on one of the Imphal bound buses.

The four persons who have been detained by the NSCN (IM) cadres have been identified as Laishram Tejkumar (38) Shimrei Angam (25), Arunkumar Sahu (45) of Telipati and Y Sarat (30) of Awang Sekmai.

Tha last two are drivers of the two vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Police Dept has informed that all the four detained persons along with the vehicles have been set free by NSCN (IM) cadres at Nungba this evening.

A case has also been registered against the NSCN (IM) cadres in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, Chief Electoral officer has today issued an intimation to the State DGP demanding a detailed report on yesterday's incident.

Talking to The Sangai Express today, Chief Electoral Officer V Chibber informed that he had also received a complaint from the State BJP unit in connection with the abduction of the two BJP workers along with their drivers.