Four persons who had been abducted by a Kuki militant group which is a signatory to the suspension of operations have been released late on Friday night. Police are tight lipped on whether any ransom has paid to the outfit.
In another incident, suspected Kuki militants kidnapped two labourers from Kanglatongbi as the contractor refused to pay up. The four persons who were employees of Public Works Department were abducted on January 11 from Singda dam which is under construction now.
While in captive, they were forced to speak to the contractor urging him to pay up. On Friday night they were brought in a truck and van after which they were left near Imphal.
Police confirmed that two more persons engaged in the road construction had been abducted on Saturday. Their whereabouts are not known as yet. Police have registered a case.
Sources said that the Manipur government is worried since these types of flagrant violations of the ground rules of the suspension of operations sound the death knell to the search for peace in this insurgency afflicted state. The monitoring cell of the suspension of operations has taken note of the increasing instances of violations of the ground rules. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has been saying that the government shall come down with a heavy hand if the ground rules are violated.