IMPHAL, March 31: The 12-hour general strike call given by the militant outfit Maoist Communist Party, Manipur (MCP) on Saturday to protest the alleged killing of two bus handymen evoked a mixed response in the state.
Meanwhile, in a pre-emptive strike last night police commandos arrest two cadres of the MCP along with weapons and incriminating documents.
All the passenger vehicles including Bus, Tata Magic and Winger vans, auto rickshaws remained off the road.
However, private vehicles were seen moving on the roads.
Shutters remained down in the Khwairamband bazar and the 3 women markets were empty. During the bandh, all the school and colleges remain closed.
However, most of the government employees attended offices, particularly in Imphal, as today is the last working day of the financial year 2011-12.
The strike was imposed by the MCP as a mark of protest over the March 27 Keishampat bus fire incident where two young handymen of a passenger bus were charred to death allegedly after the bus was burnt by some unknown miscreants.
Meanwhile, two cadres of MCP were arrested at Lairenkabi during a search operation launched by a team of Manipur police commandos from Lamshang police station under Imphal West District Police.
They were identified as Sapam Bike alias BK alias Romeo, 28, son of (L) Kumar, a resident of Lairenkabi Awang Leikai and Takhellambam Naoba alias Naochabi, 28, son of Shamu from Lairenkabi Maning Leikai.
A team of commandos led by Sub-Inspector P Sanjoy launched a search operation at Lairenkabi under Lamshang police station at around 3 pm after receiving a tip that an unspecified number of bandh supporters belonging to MCP were present in the area resulting in the arrest of two militants, police sources informed.
The duo were working for MCP under the command of the outfit’s Imphal West Revenue Officer, Sairem Sanathoi alias Bobo alias Ibungo of Lamshang Mamang Leikai, the sources said, adding that one 9 mm pistol with four rounds, one .32 pistol with three rounds and three demand letters of MCP were recovered from them.