Imphal, October 09 2009: Three suspected cadres of PREPAK including an ART patient have been slain in a reported encounter with troops of 28 AR last night.

Troops of 28 Assam Rifles eliminated three suspected PREPAK cadres during an operation in Andro Khunou area at about 11.15 pm yesterday, said a press release issued by the PRO of Hqs IG AR (S).

Three 9 mm pistols with magazines and five live rounds, three AK live ammunition, six assorted live ammunition and one fired cartridge each of AK and 9 mm were recovered from the slain UG cadres.

The corpses along with recovered items have been handed over to Yairipok police station.

The reported encounter took place at a place between Andro Khunou and Sanapat under Yairipok police station at about 11 pm last night, said a police source.

Meanwhile, one of the slain men has been identified as RK Brajamani alias Bijuli (38) s/o late Amusana of Tera Sapam Leirak.

It is reported that he was an ART patient.

Chaoba Devi, wife of the slain individual, said that she saw her husband and two other persons pulled up by some unidentified men from Wahengbam Leikai Jiri bus parking at about 7 am of October 7 .

Conceding that Brajamani was imprisoned in 2007 after he was arrested by security forces as a PREPAK cadre, Chaoba said that her husband was working as a merchandiser selling Moreh goods at Jiribam.

Brajamani was pulled up from Jiri parking by some unidentified people clad in civvies who came in a car (Maruti Alto) and a Gypsy while he was with his son inside a bus.

Some of the abductors who took away Brajamani appeared to be non-locals and tribals, Chaoba said.

"I ran after them and said that my husband was an ART patient.

I also showed his ART drugs.

But they only handed me our son and drove away", Chaoba recounted.

A complaint was lodged at Imphal Police on the next day (October 8).At this police told them (Brajamani's family) not to inform media saying that they would intimate the matter to all police stations.

Brajamani's killing was confirmed when his family checked at RIMS mortuary today, the bereaved wife said.

Brajamani, Chaoba and their son were already aboard the bus and were about to leave for Jiribam taking with them two cartons of candles, one carton of tin fish and two rice-cookers for sale at Jiribam.

Chaoba further confided that she was also an ART patient. Chaoba has filed an appeal to the Manipur Human Rights Commission seeking an enquiry into the killing.

The other two cannot be identified till the time of filing this report.

All the three corpses are lying in RIMS mortuary.