Imphal, March 20 2009: Marking increase the activities of militants, an engineer along with his wife and one driver of an inter-state bus kidnapped even as a cargo vehicles belonging to postal services has been hijacked in different militancy-related incidents reported Friday in Manipur.

The activities of the militants was only after three day which government claimed enabling significantly in checking activities of the undergrounds in the valley area the police with the help of the Central forces which was mentioned in the address of the state Governor, Gurbachan Jagat in his address to the state Assembly on Tuesday last.

The kidnapping of engineer together with his wife and hijacking of cargo of postal service Imphal received strong protest from the residents of Singjamei, Imphal where the engineer hails from, employees of the state PWD and from the employees of the Postal Service, Imphal.

Local as well as police said that the ailing assistant engineer of the state PWD (highway division-III) named Moirangthem Janaki has been kidnapped by the suspected militants from his resident at Singjamei Oinam Thingel, Imphal along with his wife last night at around 7.30 pm apparently in connection with monetary demand.

Some unidentified gunmen intruded into the house of the engineer who is on leave with a complaint of ill health condition.

His wife followed the engineer when they turned down her plea, local residents staging protest at the locality from this morning till late evening afternoon said.

The local people are demanding immediate unconditional safe released of the engineer and his wife.

Employees of the state PWD also staged a sit-in protest in front of their office complex at Khoyathong, Imphal to register a strong protest against militants kidnapping of official of the department allegedly on ransom demand.

They are demanding stoppage of kidnapping and threatening of engineers and officials of the department stating that the repeated and frequent kidnapping and threatening with bombs and guns to the houses of the engineers and officials has affected the normal working atmosphere of the office.

A driver of an Imphal-Guwahati bound inter-state passenger bus named Inaocha Singh has also been kidnapped by suspected KNF activists from Sekmai area along the NH-39 today at around 12 noon.

Police report said the driver was kidnapped by the unidentified men when the bus was stopping for taking lunch.

The bus bearing registration no.MN03D-0035 (Rajdhani Express) has been taken into custody by the Sekmai police and investigation to the kidnapping incident, the report said.

Employees of the Postal Service in Imphal also staged a sit-in protest against the hijacking of a cargo vehicle of the service by suspected PLA activists from the way from Imphal Tulihal Airport to its office located opposite to the Chief Minister's Bungalow, Bapupara.

The cargo vehicle carrying 51 bags containing computer sets and X-rox copier machines dispatch from an electronic company outside the state addressing to electronic shop at Imphal was hijacked from the way to the postal office yesterday.

Police said four youths suspected to be the cadres of the proscribed PLA hijacked the cargo vehicle carrying the parcel coming out from the Tuhilal Airport in Imphal was on its way to the Head post office.

The four unidentified stopped the vehicles at Nepram Major waylaid to the post office, sources informed.

The employees blamed the higher authorities of the postal service in Imphal for not providing security to the cargo vehicles despite their repeated plea on received of the threats from various underground elements.

Protesting employees said, earlier also such instants of hijacking of postal cargos occurred.

Police suspected the hijacking of the cargo related with monetary demand served to the owners of the cargo in Imphal by a militant outfit.

A total of 297 "extremists' were killed during the period from January 1 to December 31, 2008 and arrested 1703 of them belonging to various underground outfits.

305 assorted weapons along with 5707 assorted ammunition, 161 hand grenades, 97 lethod bombs and 600 grams of RDX were recovered from the extremists stated the state Governor Gurbachan Jagat in his address to the House of the state Assembly on the first day of the fifth session of the ninth Manipur Legislative Assembly on March 17. A total of 189 persons were also detained under the NSA and 31 extremists belonging to various underground outfits surrendered to the government authorities, the Governor added.

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