The Delhi Police Special Cell claims to have arrested a 37-year-old alleged self-styled general secretary of Manipur-based banned terror outfit Kangleipak Communist Party— Peoples War Group, identified as Moirangthem Rana Pratap Rana alias Paikhomba.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said that the accused was arrested from Manipur’s Bishnupur on Tuesday. He was wanted by the National Investigation Agency and a reward of ₹2lakh was announced on his arrest, the police said.
The police had arrested the outfit’s alleged self-styled chairman Oinam Bochouba Singh alias Khoirangba on August 28. During his interrogation, the police said, they had received clues about Paikhomba and that led to his arrest. “He was negotiating to surrender but kept getting involved in anti-national activities. He is named in several terrorist activities and extortion cases in Manipur,” Mr. Yadav said.
The accused was arrested by the Assam Police in 2005 under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, after which he went to Nepal and settled there. He got married to a local woman in Pokhra. “Later, he shifted his base from Nepal to Bareilly, U.P. He directed his aide Oinam to search for an alternative haven in and around Delhi to raise funds and procure arms,” Mr. Yadav said.
The police also said that the group had given death threats to Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh for the removal of Manipur University’s Vice-Chancellor A.P. Pandey as demanded by the students and teachers of the university.
“He extorted money from different government authorities, local businessmen, private schools by threatening them with demand letters sent through over-ground workers (OGWs) in Manipur. The OGW’s used to collect the extortion money from the victims and distributed the same between different offices of the banned outfit,” Mr. Yadav said.
The police have seized three mobile phones, two laptops and found digital evidence in the form of audio, video and text messages.
