Rebel leaders killed in shoot out
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 07 2015:
Two top leaders of URF-Lalheiba were killed in an encounter at Kwakta Khuman Mayai Leikai under Moirang police station in Bishnupur district yesterday.
The rebel leaders have been identified as URF-Lalheiba home secretary Puyam Ruhinikumar alias Mongyamba (50) s/o (L) Indu of Khurai Chingangbam Leikai and finance secretary Keithelakpam Tiken (45) s/o (L) K Anganghal of Naoremthong Khulem Leikai.
Speaking to reporters, Bishnupur SP N Herojit said that acting on a reliable intelligence input, a combined police commando team of Imphal West and Bishnupur districts rushed to the house of one Thambalmani w/o (L) Md Abo of Kwakta Khuman Mayai Leikai at around 11.50 am.
The commando team led by Imphal West commando OC P Sanjoy and Bishnupur commando OC Sadananda was supervised by Imphal West SP Additional (Operations) Th Vikramjit and Bishnupur Additional SP (Operations) Manjit, he added.
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Herojit further said that the URF cadres opened fire on the commando team as they entered the residential complex of Thambalmani.
The security team immediately took position and retaliated resulting in a brief encounter, he added.
After the gunfight, Tiken was found dead inside the guest room of the house while Ruhinikumar's body was recovered from the latrine, Herojit added.
One 9 mm pistol and one hand grenade were found on Tiken's body while another 9 mm pistol was recovered from Ruhinikumar, the SP added.
Later, both the bodies were deposited at RIMS morgue after conducting inquest of the encounter site by a team of police and forensic experts, he said.
Meanwhile, the two rebel leaders were identified by their respective families at RIMS morgue this morning.
According to Ruhinikumar's family, the slain rebel leader joined PLA in 1985 and later joined URF some years back.
He last visited his family on Ningol Chakkouba day last year.
He is survived by three daughters.
According to family members, Tiken was also a former PLA cadre and he joined URF later.
He had previously served jail term for some years under National Security Act (NSA) after he was arrested from Guwahati.
Sources said that Tiken's wife Pashot was picked up from her house by a commando team some 10 days back.