Driver found dead
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 07, 2014:
The bullet riddled body of a driver who went reportedly missing after unidentified persons took him and his Tata Winger Van from North AOC on the pretext of hiring the Van to drop a patient to Dimapur on Feb 22 was found today at Molvom village hillock in Senapati district.
The deceased driver has been identified as one Manas Ali alias Shotu (21) S/o Matlim Ali alias Akbar of Sukhajan village under Bokajan PS in Assam's Karbi Anglong district.
Sources said that the body was recovered by jhum farmers today around 8:00 AM from the spot which is around 11 kms South East off Kangpokpi PS.
Two unidentified persons took driver Ali and his vehicle from North AOC around 11am of Feb 22 on the pretext of hiring the vehicle to drop a patient to Dimapur, sources said.
Since then the whereabouts of the driver was not known.
On Feb 25, the Tata Winger (AS-09C/6892) driven by Ali was recovered by the police from Mongbung village approximately 15 kms Southeast of Sapormeina PS.
A bullet mark was found on the head.
A spent cartridge of 9mm pistol and a wallet were also recovered by the police from the spot.
A team of Kangpokpi police personnel led by L Haokip, OC (In- charge), Kpi PS and Minthang Kipgen, II OC went to the spot and retrieved the dead body around 10.30 this morning Another source said that on Feb 23 the abductors had reportedly made Rs 50 lakh ransom demand to the owner of the Winger, identified as Chandrakumar Rai of Khatkhati, Assam.
In this connection a complain was lodged with Imphal PS the same day.
The dead body has been deposited at RIMS morgue.
At the same time, the Manipur Inter-State Taxi Workers' Association has strongly condemned the incident.
Secretary of the Association, Pemo Asem termed the incident of abduction and killing for ransom 'a barbaric act' while urging all concerned to refrain from such acts in future.