Manipur ultras free officials, put notice on minister

The underground Kanglei Yawl Kanna Lup (KYKL) of Manipur has given in to public pressure and released the five government officials abducted...

The underground Kanglei Yawl Kanna Lup (KYKL) of Manipur has given in to public pressure and released the five government officials abducted by it a week ago. But it has added that it will not withdraw the ‘‘death penalty’’ against school education minister Mohammed Maniruddin for his alleged involvement in corruption.

The five officials were set free last evening in Thoubal with KYKL spokesman Lanngamba Mangang saying in a signed statement that they had been released keeping in view the wishes of the people of Manipur. But the decision to ‘‘kill’’ the minister stays and would depend on his actions in future. ‘‘In future, the organisation will not give any warning or consult the people. Instead, all those involved in corruption will be killed,’’ the statement said.

‘Indian rule’ blamed for corruption

GUWAHATI: The Manipur People’s Liberation Front, an umbrella organisation of three underground groups — Revolutionary People’s Front, United National Liberation Front and People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak — on Wednesday issued a statement at Imphal expressing concern over the rise in corruption in the state, blaming it on ‘‘India’s colonial rule’’. ‘‘Government employees who do not accept bribes are considered unacceptable by the society,’’ the MPLF said, attributing the menace to the ‘‘prolonged domination of India’’ and the root cause the systems adopted by it to subdue the genuine voice of the people. (ENS)

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The five officials who virtually got a New Year’s gift are T.K. Raghumani, deputy secretary, education; K. Sagoltongba, PSO to education minister Md Maniruddin; excise inspector Md Nasir Ahmed; N. Shyamacharon; Oinam Priyokumar and S. Ranjit. The government has beefed up the minister’s security

The KYKL, a relatively small underground group — an offshoot of the outlawed United National Liberation Front — in its statement commented on what it said was the prevailing corruption in the education department of Manipur. No one should try to take bribes from job-seekers and those seeking jobs should not pay any, the outfit warned. ‘‘We know that the upper middle class are corrupt people. From now on, anybody found involved in any kind of corruption will be killed without any prior warning,’’ the KYKL said.

The statement dwelt at length on quality education, saying human resource and knowledge capital were national wealth and should not be allowed to deteriorate because of some corrupt people. ‘‘Everybody must be aware of the desire of KYKL to have quality education,’’ the statement added.

The militant group made the five officials give ‘‘confessional statements’’ according to which they had accepted bribes from job-seekers and had handed over the money to the education minister.