IMPHAL, December 5: Employees of HVS construction staged a sit-in-protest in front of its office gate at Patsoi under Imphal West district today against the alleged kidnapping of two excavator drivers who works for HVS construction by a UG organization.
The two excavator drivers have been identified as Hawaibam suresh, 22, son of late Tomba of Khaidem Awang Leikai and Jalauddin Barbuiya, 27, son of Jamirruddin of Hellakandi in Cachar district of Assam.
Speaking to media persons during the demonstration, a protestor said that on November 24 evening at around 6:30 the two drivers were kidnapped by three or four unidentified persons who came on a white Maruti 800 car from Keithelmanbi, where the two were engaged.
In the next morning a person who identified himself as a KCP Lamyanba Khuman member made a call to the managing director of the HVS construction and demanded rupees one crore and fifty lakh ransom for the safe release of the two drivers, the protester further said.
The HVS construction has given a sum of rupees five lakh to the kidnappers at Otlou some days back, the protester claimed.
Regarding the incident, the family member had filed a report at Patsoi Police Station on November 29.
Family members of Suresh, speaking to media persons, claimed that they have received threat calls from the kidnappers that they will kill Suresh and Jalauddin if their demands are not made.
The family members further appealed for the safe release of the two saying that they are the daily bread earners of their respective families.
Meanwhile, a combined team of Imphal West and East Police Commandos arrested two suspected KCP cadres who were involved in the kidnapping of state TB officer Dr Rk Laksana Singh and his driver along with department vehicle Maruti Gypsy bearing registration number MN-01X 0250 for ransom of Rs 20 lakh from Chingmeirong at a place near Eastern Motor Showroom on Dec 3 at around 4.30 pm, said a police release.
According to the release, the arrested has been identified has Khwairakpam Robin Singh, 30, son of Kh Sanajaoba Singh of Sekmai Makha Leikai, who is serving at Royal Auxiliary Service, Iraq as navigating officer and Khwairakpam Nandakishore alias Amujao Singh, 32, son of Kh Ratan Singh of Sekmai Nonthonbal, who is serving at Army Service crops (Army No. 6501103Y) and posted at Bangalore.
A sum of rupees one lakh extorted from the family of Dr Rk Laksana, one passport, three SBI ATM cards, two ID cards, two pan cards, two driving licences were recovered from them, the release further said.
On the questioning, they revealed that they are on leave at Imphal and were planning to leave Imphal after committing the crime by imposing themselves as KCP cadres, it added.