IOC official released unharmed; Oil pumps open but LPG woes continue
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 23, 2011:
Barely a day in captivity, the IOC official kidnapped on Saturday was released unharmed today around 12.30 pm at Tingri village in the the foothills of Leikinthabi under Sekmai Police Station of Imphal West.
Following the release, distribution of petrol and diesel at oil depots in Imphal resumes and some retail outlets also opened to give a relief to the people who were buying petrol at Rs.100 a litre in the morning.
An IOC official confirmed today that Khwairakpam Ibobi Singh, Senior Divisional Retail Manager, IOC, Imphal Divisional Office who was kidnapped by unknown persons January 21 around 8.40 pm on his way home to Sekmai has returned home safely this morning.
Armed miscreants in police uniform posing as police commandos kidnapped him from Khonghampat area along NH 39.The men in uniform stopped him on the pretext of requesting him for a lift to Leikinthabi.
The official said that after crossing the IRB post at Leikinthabi, Ibobi was blind folded and it was at that moment that Ibobi came to know that he had been kidnapped.
He was taken to Mapau village where he was kept for the night.
His kidnappers contacted Ibobi's family yesterday in the morning around 6 am over the telephone informing them that he had been taken into captivity in connection with Rs.1 crore demand from the IOC, Imphal.
The official, however, refused to divulge the group behind the kidnapping and the terms and conditions behind his safe release.
Earlier, staff of the IOC, Imphal staged a sit-in-protest against the kidnapping of their senior colleague in front of the Chingmeirong Oil Depot.
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Drivers of oil tankers also joined the protest.
The protest started at 10 am and lasted till noon.
With the safe release of the kidnapped officer the staff of the IOC returned to their duties with immediate effect and started distribution of petrol and diesel.
However, the disturbances in the distribution of LPG (cooking gas) is likely to continue as the two drivers and a handyman of bullet tankers abducted by activists of the KPLT in Assam's Karbi Anglong district are still in the captivity of the outfit.
The outfit is demanding Rs.50 lakhs as ransom.