Coimbatore, Sep 05: Wanted separatist leader of the proscribed Manipur People's Army (MPA) Kh Ibotombi was arrested along with his aide here today.

Ibotombi was arrested by a special Manipur police team from a city hospital where he had been recuperating after a surgery to correct spinal compression.

Another person, Salam Bunk, who was with him as an aide in the hospital, was also taken into custody by the team, which came armed with a warrant, a senior police official from Manipur said.

There were various charges against Ibotombi, including 120 (b) (conspiracy) 124 (A) sedition, secessionism and cases under Arms and Explosives Acts, Unlawful Assembly and Prevention Act, the official said.

Ibotombi is the general secretary of MPA and another banned organisation, United National Liberation Front, and was wanted by Imphal police, he said.

Meanwhile, eight students, hailing from Manipur and studying in a college at Kuniyamuthur in the city, have been "secured," on suspicion that they might have links with Ibotombi, police sources here said.

The Manipur Police, Intelligence Bureau and Army were monitoring the movement of Ibotombi and his gang, who had not been spotted in Manipur for some time.

A net was spread for them in Bangalore on the basis of an intelligence report based on the interception of telephone calls, the police official said.

An Army Major in Bangalore traced a telephone call made by Ibotombi in which the insurgent leader, suffering from backache and a spinal problem, said he had dropped his plans to go to Bangalore or Vellore and that he been admitted to the Ganga Hospital here for surgery.

The Major located the hospital and informed its senior doctors to watch Ibotombi's movement.

Three students from Manipur, who were studying in a local college, visited Ibotombi in the hospital and were placed under surveillance by police.

After the hospital's chief doctor S Rajasekaran informed police of the date of Ibotombi's discharge, the team from Manipur moved in and arrested him.

A laptop, Rs 35,000 in cash and two mobile phones were seized from Ibotombi's possession, the official said.

The local police carried out searches in the houses where the students were residing and took 20 of them in for questioning, police said.

Ibotombi alias Khundongbam had recovered fully after being operated on for spinal compression, Rajasekaran said.

The two arrested men are likely to be taken to Imphal by a night flight on a transit warrant, police said.

Comment