House of accused abductor destroyed
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 25, 2011: Residents of Lilong dismantled the house of a person, an alleged drug abuser, for his involvement in the abduction of an autorickshaw driver for ransom, posing himself as a UG cadre.

An autorickshaw driver identified as Potsangbam Sanajaoba (28) s/o Pishak of Lamboi Khul under Imphal East district but staying at Porompat was reported to have been abducted by some unidentified armed persons.

After three days of captivity, he was released at a place in Lilong Haoreibi Loumanga area in the wee hours today.

After the local residents of Lilong came to know the involvement of Md Islao Rahaman (30) s/o late Isub Ali of Lilong Sambrukhong Mamei in the abduction of Sanajaoba, the house of Md Islao Rahaman was attacked and dismantled by an infuriated mob later in the afternoon today.

Recounting the ordeal, Sanajaoba informed that at around 4 pm of Saturday last, he was waiting for passengers at the parking lot in front of Johnstone Higher Secondary School when an unidentified youth approached to hire autorickshaw on the pretext of picking up some second hand goods from Lilong.

As they arrived at Lilong Masjid Lamkhai, 3/4 youths were waiting for them and they too boarded the auto-rickshaw.

Not long after that, one of the youths pointed a pistol at him and after blindfolding and tying his hands, they took him to an known place.

As soon as they held him captive, the unidentified youths took away the mobile phone along with Rs 400 in his possession.

On the same night of his abduction, one of his abductors, who identified himself as the district commander of KCP (Tabungba Meitei) group, used his mobile phone to contact his family members giving false information that his autorickshaw broke down and asked the family members to make arrangement for money for repairing.

However, from the way he spoke and behaved, Sanajaoba came to know that his abductor is not only a Muslim but also a drug abuser.

On the following day, the abductors again contacted the family members claiming that drugs worth Rs 7 lakhs have been seized from the autorickshaw of Sanajaoba.

So, at least Rs 5 lakh should be brought to secure his release.

As directed by the abductors, the worried family members first went to Hiyangthang.

From there, the family members were again directed to go to Samurou and later on to Wangoi.

While at Wangoi, the family members came across the autorickshaw of Sanajaoba in the Wangoi Police Station.

The autorickshaw was without the lead storage battery and had been picked up by the police after it was abandoned by the abductors.

Even as an effort was being made to trace the whereabouts of Sanajaoba, he was released by his abductors at a place in Lilong Loumanga area in the wee hours today.

When the local residents came across Sanajaoba in such a pitiable condition, they gave him shelter and food at the residence of former Councillor of Lilong Nagar Panchayat Md Nurajman.

It was there that the local residents came to know about the involvement of Md Islao Rahaman in the abduction.

Later in the afternoon today, a public meeting was held in protest against the abduction at Loumanga ground.

All those who spoke in the meeting unanimously decried the act of abduction as uncivilised and an attempt to create communal tension among the people.

The meeting also unanimously resolved to catch the abductors and punish them.

Furthermore, the meeting resolved to launch a drive against drug abuse in Lilong and its surrounding areas and communicate the matter to all the local clubs, organisations, localities concerned.

During the meeting, the recording of the conversation had on the mobile phone regarding the ransom demand between the wife of Sanajaoba and his abductors was also played for all to hear.

After the meeting, the infuriated local residents stormed at the house of the accused Md Islao Rahaman and destroyed it completely.

Apart from finding the house empty of occupants, goods too have been started removing.

In due consideration of the location of the house in a densely populated area, the infuriated mob restrained themselves from setting it on fire.

The accused Md Islao Rahaman is also said to have been involved in an earlier case of abducting children.