Imphal, November 22 2009: After 29 days in captivity, Gauhati High Court lawyer, M Ibotombi Sharma was released today, much to the relief of his family members and the legal fraternity.

Talking to the media today at his Nagamapal Singjubung Leirak, Ibotombi said that he was kept in the jungles of Assam and Bengal and even taken to Sikkim and Tibet, before he was freed at Guwuhati today.

"Though the real motive for my abduction was not spelt out explicitly by my captors, they tried to fly to Dubai and Singapore to deal with certain legal matters, concerning international laws," claimed the lawyer.

Ibotombi however conceded that his abduction might have something to do with the demand notice of Rs 20 lakhs served on him by the KCP.

Since I was not in a position to cough such a huge amount, my captors thought that they would utilise my service as a law practitioner, he said.

Recalling the past days, Ibotombi said that on October 25, four strangers, including one Meitei Pangal and three Meiteis took him to an undisclosed place, somewhere in the hills of Senapati district.

The lawyer recounted that after trekking through the jungles for a long distance, they halted the night there, after which they boarded a vehicle the following morning.

"Thereafter I was taken to Dimapur and then to the jungles of Assam," he added.

A number of persons, purportedly from different outfits and who spoke in Assamese and Bengali, took away my mobile phones, he informed.

"My captors, however allowed me to talk to my family members albeit with the condition that I do not disclose the location of my stay," said Ibotombi.

"From their deliberations, I learnt that different outfits are working together with some from Manipur and that they needed some assistance from lawyers to draft legal matters, translation of international laws so as to submit a joint representation to the United Nations," claimed the lawyer.

Ibotombi was handed over to his wife, Dhaniya Devi yesterday at Guwahati.

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