Imphal, February 09 2009: Suspected PULF militants gunned down a woman ex-pradhan along with a present member of the gram panchayat after kidnapped, police report said Monday.

Anguish over the killing of the woman leader and the member, villagers of Khelakhong area protested with a rally proceeding towards the chief minister's bungalow.

However, police blocked them on the way and allowed only some representatives to proceed and submit memorandum to the chief minister.

The 45-year old former pradhan named Basirjan Bibi daughter of Asuf Ali of Khelakhong Mamang Leikai village under Mayang Imphal police station, in Imphal west was abducted by the suspected PULF militants yesterday night at around 10 pm while the present gram panchayat member named Md Sanayaima of same village failed to return back after he went out from his home at around 11 am yesterday.

The bullet riddled dead bodies were found lying at an open place at Heibongmakhong Laipat located nearby to the village, they hail from.

Police retrieved the dead bodies from spot this morning and deposited at RIMS morgue for official procedures.

Decrying the killing of the woman who served the villagers as pradhan of the local self government and presently serving member, the villagers this late morning rose up and rallied on the street along the Mayai Lambi road.

The rally marched towards the Imphal with a view to submit a memorandum to the chief minister.

They were, however, prevented from further proceeding by the police in front of the Mayang Imphal police station.

Later, after negotiation, only the five representatives of the people were allowed to proceed with the police to the chief minister's bungalow and submit memorandum.

According to the representatives, the memorandum demanded booking of the culprits involved in the killing of the woman and member of the gram panchayat and punishment as per the law of the land.

They also demanded adequate compensation to the bereave families of the decease.

The dead bodies are keeping without official procedure for postmortems as families with the support of the villagers refused to claim.

The villagers said that they will not receive the dead bodies till government responded positively to the demand put forward by them.

Comment