IOC Senior Divisional Manager freed, protest off
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 23, 2011: Senior Division Retail Sales Manager of the IOC Divisional Sales Office, Imphal, KI Singh who was abducted by suspected armed cadres of the People's Support Group (PSG) on January 21 night has been freed safely this afternoon.

According to Bijyenti, wife of KI Singh, the IOC officer was abducted by some four/five individuals who came in a car from near Khonghampat agricultural fields when KI Singh was returning home from Chingmeirong IOC depot in the night of January 21.The abductors took KI Singh to a hill village located a little distance away from Awang Leikinthabi under Sekmai police station.

There KI Singh was kept hostage in a house.

The abductors reportedly told the owners of the house that KI Singh was a drug abuser.

However, members of the family exerted strong pressure on the abductors to release KI Singh without any delay.

"Through mobile phone we talked with the abductors and made fervent appeals to free my husband safely.

Hearing our appeal, they released my husband without inflicting any harm", Bijyenti said.

The abductors brought KI Singh then blind-folded to a paddy field located a little distance away from Leikinthabi from the village where he was held hostage and freed him there this morning.

However, KI Singh's personal mobile phone handset was confiscated by the abductors.

At first, KI Singh had no idea about the place where he was freed.

After walking for some distance, he came across a youth and enquired about the place.

Then only he came to know that he was at Leikinthabi.

Employees of IOC on dharna before KI Singh was freed

Then a took a mobile phone from the youth, called the IOC Depot Manager at Chingmeirong and passed the information that he was at Leikinthabi.

Soon, a team of IOC officials arrived at Leikinthabi and escorted KI Singh back home, Bijyenti conveyed.

On hearing about the safe release of KI Singh, IOC officials who were staging a protest demonstration in front of Chingmeirong oil depot cut short their agitation and went to KI Singh's home at Sekmai.

General Manager of the IOC's Guwahati based North Eastern Integrated State Office, senior officials and officials of the Divisional Sales Office Imphal and depot officials also visited KI Singh at his Sekmai residence on learning about his safe release.

As KI Singh has been released safe and sound, Chingmeirong oil depot and oil pumps would resume service from tomorrow.

Likewise, petroleum product transporters would also come back to duty.

But all oil pumps remained closed today in protest against the abduction of KI Singh.

This provided unfair opportunity to the black marketers at the cost of the general public.

One litre of petrol was sold at Rs 80 in front of Mantripukhri NRL oil pump.

The price of petrol rose to Rs 100 per litre in front of Khurai NRL oil pump.

Black marketers sold petrol at Rs 80 per litre near PCTC oil pump at Khoyathong.

In Singjamei areas too, petrol was sold in black market between Rs 80 to Rs 100 per litre.

Diesel was sold between Rs 50 to Rs 60 per litre.