Police have arrested Moirangthem Boyboi (30), a mobile compnay employee and his two accomplices — N. Tomchou (29) and his elder sister N. Romabati (32) — on a charge of faking Boyboi's kidnapping for demanding a ransom of Rs.5 crore. Disclosing this to journalists on Wednesday, K. Jayenta, Superintendent of Police, Bishnupur District, said that an FIR was lodged on February 11 to the effect that armed rebels of the Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council) had kidnappd Boyboi. The outfit had announced that the mobile company would not be allowed to operate in Manipur if the ransom was not paid.
Meanwhile, the womenfolk of Kumbi, the place of Boyboi, had torched some towers of the mobile firm, saying that it was doing nothing to secure his release.
Mr. Jayenta said that the police had established that on February 11 itself that Boyboi left Imphal by a flight for Bagdroga from where he sneaked into Nepal. They were convinced that it was not a case of kidnapping since he had left Imphal alone. Boyboi returned home on Tuesday to tell that the rebels had set him free, since the ransom had been paid.
However police picked him up from his home. Apart from demanding Rs. 5 crore from the mobile company, the outfit had also asked all other mobile service providers to suspend their operations till an “agreement” was reached. Mr. Jayenta said that the mobile company forked out Rs. 25 lakh, which was deposited in an account number provided by the outfit. Out of which Boyboi was to be given Rs. 10 lakh for “services rendered.” All the three have been remanded to police custody.
