Three UG cadres slain; Two mired in CCpur rape case
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 14: Three suspected PLA cadres were slain during a counter insurgency operation undertaken by a combined force of Imphal West District Police commandos and troops of 22 Maratha Light Infantry at Bamdiar, about 3 kms North West of Nambol police station in the wee hours today.

Briefing media persons today afternoon, SP Imphal West Clay Khongsai conveyed that on receiving information of some UG cadres staying at Bamdiar Mayai Leikai, a combined team of Imphal West commandos and 22 MLI cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

Security personnel search belongings of the slain trio; Arms and ammo recovered

After the operation was over, UG cadres started firing towards the security forces at about 4.50 am from an area covered by bushes near the paddy field of Bamdiar Mayai Leikai.

Three UG cadres were killed in the retaliatory firing by security forces.

Two AK 56 rifles, six magazines, 80 live rounds, one M-14 rifle, three magazines and 26 live rounds, some empty cases of bullets, a shawl and four magazine pouches were recovered from the slain cadres, informed the SP.

He added that the slain youths might be PLA cadres.

The three corpses have been picked up by police and deposited at RIMS mortuary.

On the other hand, according to information received by press from the spot, local people reportedly saw the three PLA cadres walking together with commando personnel some 10 minutes before they were shot dead.

The slain cadres were seen made to sit near the earthen embankment around the plot of one Ahongshangbam Thoiba.

Moments later the security forces asked the civilian observers to go inside their homes.

Just as the local people went inside their houses, gun shots were heard.

In the bamboo grove belonging to Ahongshangbam Thoiba where the slain cadres were suspected to have put up night before, some pieces of mosquito repellent coils were also found.

Numerous bullet marks were observed on the heads, legs and hands of the three slain UG cadres.

One of them had a short beard in the chin besides painting with grey colour from the temple to near chin in the form of beard.

Some Meitei Mayek scripts were inscribed on his right wrist.

A Bandaid was also found pasted against the point of an injection in the same hand.

Some small glass bottles embossed with Chinese scripts were also recovered from his possession.

The second deceased was found wearing green T shirt embossed with a symbol of two guns crossing over each other and a skull in the middle in the sleeve.

At the spot, the T-shirt was inscribed with the English word 'Airborne'.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by AR PRO reaffirmed that the three youths slain in the early morning encounter at Bamdiar belong to the PLA organisation.

They are identified as Ingudam Chaoba (26) alias Luwang s/o Kalachand of Mayang Imphal Yangbi, Naorem Mukesh alias Chinglen s/o N Kesho of Kakching Wairi Kha and Thangjam Jotish alias Yaima s/o Th Romeshchandra of Agartala, Tripura.

Chaoba was a married man having a one year old daughter.

He also used to practise Taekwondo.

According to family members of Chaoba, some UG cadres came to his home two/three days back asking if Chaoba had come home.

It is suspected that the three youths were slain while they were trying to surrender to security forces after fleeing from the outfit under which they were serving.