IMPHAL, September 4: Two masons kidnapped for ransom by cadres of KCP (Lamyanba Khuman) have been freed from their custody yesterday.
A clearly underfed looking Elangbam Gandhi, 32, son of Itomba of Bamon Kampu Khaidem Leikai at present staying at Lamdeng Khunou and Laishram Somorjit, 22, son of Doren of Laining Khul, Lamsang were freed by their captors yesterday morning at about 9 am.
The duo was abducted by three gun wielding persons on August 19 from the workshed located at the premises of Maklang Junior High School.
They were engaged as masons for repairing the building infrastructure and abducted for a ransom of Rs 20 lakh.
Their release came post a sit in protest organized by meira paibis at Sagolband Nera Menjor Mamang Leikai on Sunday.
According to the testimony of the abducted duo, they had finished dinner at the mentioned workshed and sleeping of August 19. At around 11 pm, three persons barged into the shed and woke the laborers.
Gandhi and Somorjit was rudely wakened and held at gunpoint. Later, they were forcibly taken along an inter-village road and trekked for nearly two hours.
They said that after some time they reached a Nepali village where they were blindfolded and tied up. After further trekking and only halting at intervals for about an hour, most of the time they were blindfolded and had no bearings of the location.
“During our time in captivity, we had only three square meals. We were constantly threatened. They said of having no compunctions of killing us and mentioned that they don’t believe in giving warnings”, Gandhi recounted.
After suffering nearly 14 days in captivity, the duo was finally freed by their captors at about 9 am yesterday.
“We had no idea of where we were, they said that the location was at Aizawl, we were told to leave from the spot. It was a jungle”, Gandhi added that there were about ten cadres wielding small arms and assault rifles.
They started running from the area and after trekking for more than a day finally reached Sangaithel Khul which comes under Gamnom Sapermeina Police Station jurisdiction.
“We ran up to the highest point after being released, later we finally manage to reach Sangaithel village and met some police personnel there. It must be around 5 pm today”, they mentioned.
The duo was taken to Patsoi police station where their statements were taken and later handed over to the respective families.