Lamka, March 08 2009: Unidentified armed men of about five attacked a farm house in the intervening night of march 7-8 near Tuithapi village and thrashed a 58 year-old man to death besides wounding his 20-year-old son.

Tension built-up at Zou Veng area of the district headquarters in the aftermath of the killing, however subsided in late evening after police barricaded the area and convinced a large gathering return to their respective homes.

prior to dispersing from the said area stone were pelted at selective homes and slogans shouted.

Police sources said the father-son duo was attacked at around 12:30 am when they were deep in sleep.

After a baton brawl that ensued for sometime, T Vungkhanthang (58) of Zenhang Lamka was rendered unconscious while his son, Tualbiaklian managed to escape with injuries including a smashed finger and alerted others.

Vungkhanthang, according to hospital sources was brought with critical wounds and barely alive, but succumbed soon after at around 4 am.

Tualbiaklian contended that he along with his father, a serving male nurse in the district hospital here, stayed at their farm house located adjacent to the Khuga river and about a quarter mile from their village.

When he heard some strange sound deep in the night his father was already outside battling with their attackers.

He immediately rushed outside with an iron rod to assist his father but he was already surrounded and attacked from all directions.

"I also immediately launched strike at them but knowing that I was fighting a losing battle, I made an attempt to escape as my dad was already lying unconscious on the ground," the source quoted the injured son as saying and adding, "they chased me but failed to grab, as I ran for help I can still hear my father being attacked." he reached the first house from their farm that belongs to one Vialzakham.

"From there, we called up my family and they rushed towards us.

When they arrived I was tired and already dehydrated so I can't follow them to the farm," he recounted.

When asked how he could tell that their attackers were armed, he retorted that their brawl was under the moonlight and that their assailants had on several occasions loaded/cocked their guns to frighten them.

Vungkhanthang and his family � four sons and a daughter, runs their farm from their residence in Zenhang Lamka but entrusted some Nepalis to attend the farm.

However, after receiving several threats for ransom from some youth that spoke a particular tribal language, the Nepalis chose to stay away from the farm about a couple of week back.

The family since then attends their farm themselves, sometimes by one and at times by two.

Recalling the people who demanded ransoms, Tualbiaklian said on one occasion one of his brothers manage to get a hold of one of the youths but he manage to flee after leaving his jacket behind.

"The youths that attack us must be the same people as we don't have any enmity with anyone other than those that demanded ransoms on several occasion," the fortunate son said though he did not hear a word from their attackers last night.

With suspicion pointing on the youths that continuously demand ransoms, various civil societies including the student bodies demanded immediate actions from the government to book the culprits.

Zomi Human Rights Foundation in a statement issued today condemned the killing and said at a time when the people are living with hope and expectation for solution of problems under the SoO the foundation is shocked to learn ill-treatment meted out to Vungkhanthang and his son.

Bandh was imposed on the township since morning in condemnation of the killing and people were urged to gather at the hospital campus from 12 noon.

banners condemning the spate of killing for ransom and others that condemned violence on innocent citizens were displayed by the people that gathered there.

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