New Delhi, January 03: A monetary dispute with banned United National Liberation Front (UNLF) led to the murder of a prominent Kuki leader in the capital two months ago and 10 people were allegedly involved in hammering him to death.

Out of the 10, police has managed to arrest two men from Punjab on December 21, police said today.

Implicated in the case is one Luwangamba of the UNLF.

The UNLF had already expelled Luwangamba from the outfit earlier, said a spokesman.

Khuplam Hangsing (35), chairman of banned Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), died under mysterious circumstances on November 12 at his brother's rented accommodation in Sriniwaspuri of west Delhi and intra-group rivalry was suspected to be the reason behind the murder.

The investigation of the murder was handed over to Special Cell of the city police and after probing KRA's inter and intra-group rivalries, they zeroed in on two persons who were allegedly involved in the operation.

While Malkeet Singh, a resident of Amritsar, was arrested from Jalandhar, another person identified as Wahengbam T Meitei was caught from Chandigarh at the former's behest.

A senior police officer claimed that the duo told the interrogators that the murder was committed at the behest of the members of UNLF with whom the deceased had an ongoing financial dispute.

Tombi Singh, a member of UNLF and cousin of Meitei, was the alleged mastermind while the murder was committed allegedly at the behest of an active member of the outfit W Luwangamba, the official said.

Malkeet was on his way to Chandigarh when Meitei approached him to "help his brother Tombi to eliminate the Kuki leader," the official said.

Malkeet stayed with Tombi and other assailants and went to Hangsing's residence on November 12 and tied his hands and legs and covered the faces of four other residents.

The assailants introduced themselves as commandos of Manipur Combined Forces, then took Hangsing to another room and allegedly hammered him to death, the official added.

Hangsing was staying along with five others, including his brother David, at the top floor of the building.

Comment