UG extortionists caught, thrashed by irate public
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 07, 2012:
Angry villagers of Itham Moirangpurel in Imphal East district caught four Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) militants, who were allegedly extorting money from trucks and later handed them over to BSF after severely beating them up on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at around 12:30 pm at the village of Itham Moirangpurel under Lamlai police station when four cadres of KLA, which is also a signatory to the Suspension of Operation (SoO) involving both the State and Central Governments, were manhandled by a mob while they were extorting money which they called "annual tax" from sand loaded trucks by issuing KLA receipts.
The irate mob handed the four militants to the 13th Battalion of BSF, stationed at the Dollaithabi hill range near the village after they were severely thrashed.
The BSF later handed them over to Lamlai police station.
The extortionists KLA (Lulun group) militants were identified as Hopo, 24, from Changingpokpi village, Helin, 23 from Aigyang village near Sawongbung, Sunboy L J Soupo, 35 from Bongyang village and MNG Thang, 17, also from Aigyang village.
The villagers claimed that the Kuki UG cadres have been living together with them for the last many years in the same village, but they (Kuki militants) started indulging in extortion for the last two years by serving monetary demand to Moirangpural villagers.
"This is not the first time that the villagers here foiled such extortion attempt, there have been three or instances where the villagers caught militants who tried to extort money, particularly from trucks," Moirangpurel Meira Paibi organization secretary, Kaboklei said.