IMPHAL, November 16: A combined security team of Imphal west district commandos and personnel of 30 Assam Rifles under the supervision of Dr AK Jhalajit Sing addl SP (ops) apprehended two hard core arm individuals who are brothers and allegedly involved in the kidnapping of one RK Birendra Singh from Luwangsangbam area at around 2:30am today.
The team also recovered the two’s share of ransom money amounting to Rs 3.5 lakh along with one 9mm pistol with a magazine and one live round.
The addl SP hold a press conference at the Imphal west commando complex in this regard this evening.
During the conference he informed media persons that based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of armed cadres of the proscribed KCP (MC) who were involved in the kidnapping of one RK Birendra Singh from Takyel on November 11, in the Luwangsangbam area, the combined security team rushed to the area this early morning and apprehended the two from the area.
The addl SP further informed that on preliminary verification, the two identified themselves as Haobijam Oken Singh, 30, and his brother Haobijam Sobha alias Somen Singh, 39, s/o (L) H Ibochouba Singh of Keibul Lamjao Chingmei Mayai Leikai.
Further according to the addl SP, one Identity card of the KCP-MC (Lallumba group) a group which is presently in a tripartite agreement with the government of Manipur was also recovered from Sobha who revealed himself to be a 2nd lt of KCP (MC).
The addl SP further informed that Sobha had also disclosed that he along with his brother Oken and other associates identified as Tomba and Rakhesh of Bishnupur district had kidnapped RK Birendra from his office chamber at 7pm of November 11 at gun-point and later took him to Matai Ching as hostage.
Sobha disclosed to have released Birendra at Keibul Lamjao Chingmei on November 13 at about 3:00am after taking Rs 12 lakhs as ransom money from Birendra’s family even though they had demanded Rs 20 lakhs as ransom, the SP informed.
He also added that he along with his brother took Rs 3.5 lakhs from the extorted money, the addl SP further informed.
The two brothers were also paraded before the media persons during the press conference.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the other associates of the two brothers who were involved with them in the kidnapping are still at large, the addl SP further informed.