Imphal, July 02 2010: Imphal East Police Commandos in a joint operation with troops of 23 Assam Rifles today rescued three women kidnapped by militants when they accidentally intercepted the kidnappers on their way back from a counter insurgency operation at Sagolmang bazar in Imphal East district.

Interestingly, police later revealed that the kidnappers were activists of PREPAK but extorting money for the KCP (MC).

A combined team of the police commandos attached with the Imphal East district police and 32 Assam Rifles intercepted the kidnapping of Yambem Romita (38) wife of the principal of Pari Imom Shindamsang, a private school along with his elder sister Yambem Dhaneshwori (42) and Hijam Babita (38), a staff of the school by three activists of PREPAK today, at about 8.30 pm when they returned back from a counter insurgency operation at Sagolmang Bazar.

The police commando team arrested two militants, district commander of PREPAK identified as Sinam Roshan alias Mangang (27) son of S Joy of Nongpok Sekmai village and a woman activist of KCP(MC) identified as Tongbram Sandya (24) daughter of T Noren of Khumbong village during the operation.

They were rounded up together from Sagolmang Bazar under Lamlai police station of Imphal east district based on a tip-off of taking shelter there, a police officer of the district.

Accidentally, on the way back from the operation, the commando team intercepted an auto rickshaw, three women and a youth on board, coming from the opposite direction followed by two youths in a motorcycle at Waiton Pukhri Mapal on Imphal-Pangei road.

On suspicion, the team detained both the auto-rickshaw and motorcycle and conducted checking to the youths in which two 9 mm pistols with live rounds were recovered from the possession of the two motorcycle borne youths later identified as Meishnam Rabinchand alias Boy (24) son of Singjamei Yumnam Leikai and Takhellambam Govind alias Atomba (21) of Takhel Mamang Leikai.

No arm was found in the possession of the other activist identified as Elangbam Chetan alias Prem (19) son of Basanta of Yumnam Leikai, the officer added.

On questioning the three women on the auto-rickshaw, the commandos came to know that they were kidnapped by the three youths in connection with non-fulfilling of demand served by KCP(MC) to the private school, Pari Imom Shindamsang, Pangei.

The wife of the principal of the school, Romita told the police that in the morning today, she received a phone call from a person identified himself to be an activist of the KCP (MC) and asked for payment of the money they demanded earlier.

When she informed that her husband, the principal of the school is currently out of station, the phone was disconnected.

So sooner had the phone disconnected, the three youths entered the school campus and asked for the principal, Romita recalled.

After they could not find him, they forced her along with two women together with her to go with them in the auto-rickshaw they arranged, she added.

Later, on questioning the arrested commander of the PREPAK, he disclosed that the three were activists of PREPAK working under his command but he or higher authority of the outfit had not given orders to them to collect party fund from the school.

While questioning him before the media persons at the district headquarters, Roshan admitted that the three activists belong to his party (PREPAK) but engaging in extortion of money from the people for the KCP (MC) without the knowledge of the party higher authority.

Police have taken all the PREPAK activists along with the woman KCP (MC) activist into their custody after registering a case for further investigation into the case.

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