Imphal, January 01: Reports of sit-in-protests at different locations continued to pour in unabated against the kidnapping of the two Don Bosco School, Senapati students even as police and NSCN (IM) claimed breakthroughs in their respective investigations of the case.

According to police sources, Senapati district police picked up a suspect from Ireng village near Kangchup this afternoon and is being subjected to interrogation to authenticate other details.

Ireng village lies in Tamenglong district.

Providing further input on the matter, Senapati district SP Nishit Kumar Ujjwal identified the arrested person as Guilong (50) who is said to be highly suspected of being a party in the kidnapping case.

Responding to a query, the police officer conveyed that based on information provided by some Ireng villagers a police team swooped down on the village to pick up Guilong today.

The information relates to the villagers coming across Guilong with two women and a male youth escorting two children in a suspicious manner at an isolated spot near the village, the SP said while adding that a final conclusion can be made only after completion of the interrogation exercise.

Another youth from Noney area suspected to be involved in the kidnapping for ransom case reportedly surrendered to the village authorities some days back, said a source.

The said youth is informed to have been whisked away by suspected cadres of the NSCN (IM) before police reached the village to arrest him.

On the other hand, the NSCN (IM) has claimed of unearthing vital clues in the kidnapping of Muheni Martin and Hriini Hubert besides asserting that suspects in the case are in the outfit's custody.

Talking to The Sangai Express today, the armed group's Deputy Kilonser of Information Kraibo Chawang asserted that substantial breakthroughs have been made in the investigation of the case by a high power committee under the command of its MIP cabinet minister named as one John.

Even though Chawang declined to disclose more information on the said breakthrough on the ground that the probe is an ongoing process, he nevertheless assured that the findings would be revealed within a week's time.

Meanwhile, sit-in-protest was staged on january 8 at Longmai Bazar to denounce the kidnapping of Muheni Martin and Hriini Hubert, informed the Longmai Area Nishabandh Society (Tamenglong).

Expressing shock at the kidnapping incident and sharing the sorrow of the affected family members the protestors called for appropriate punishment of the captors for their inhuman and brutal acts/conduct, added the release.

around 700 villagers from lower and upper Charhajare also took part in a sit-in-protest held near Vishnu Panchayan Mandir yesterday against the kidnapping of Muheni and Hriini.

The protest was jointly organised by Navin Gorkha Youth Club, Koubru Leikha Gram Panchayat, women Society (Charhajare), Vishnu Panchayan Mandir and Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyaratni Parishad (Charhajare unit) and Manohar Youth Club (Upper Charhajare).

The protestors also prayed and appealed for safe release of the two innocent children without further delay.

Under the aegis of Senapati District Women's Association a sit-in-protest was organised at Karong today to demand safe and early release of the kidnapped duo.

Joining the release appeal Kangleipak Students' Association expressed concern that the act of kidnapping innocent children reason for ransom has send a chilling message to the student community on their safety and appealed to all concerned to abstain from such inhumane act for the sake of peace and tranquillity.