Imphal, March 05, 2010: Compared to the previous year, this time around the festival of colour celebrated as yaoshang here in the State passed off on a rather peaceful note with no report of extra-judicial killing as was alleged last year.

Including four suspected underground elements reportedly killed in shoot-outs with security forces during the five day festivities, six persons lost their lives.

Last year during the same period, seven UG suspects were slain while four others perished in road mishaps even as a 31-year-old man was found bludgeoned to death and a senior congress leader suffered bullet wounds in an attack by unidentified gunmen.

Among the seven slain, killing of one from uripok area had triggered a widespread protest with the family members claiming that the individual was picked up a Central security force team in broad day before being done to death and branded as an armed activist.

Regarding victims falling prey to bullets during the just concluded yaoshang, police cases have been registered of one suspected PREPAK cadre and three KYKL-MDF activists respectively shot dead on March 2 and 4. While bodies of three KYKL-MDF suspects were recovered on march 4 morning from Chanamlok village near Kamuching, which is in between Thoubal and Senapati districts, a combined security team gunned down the PREPAK suspect two days earlier during a reported shoot-out at Hiyanglam Hiranmei under Thoubal district.

A media team, who reached the March 4 incident spot were told by the villagers that sporadic firing from automatic weapons could be heard along the Kamuching range since March 2 morning.

The next morning Nongbrang villagers spotted the three corpses and the same deposited at RIMS morgue on March 4 by personnel of Yairipok police station.

One of the victims has been identified as Tongbram Maipak alias Tomba (27) s/o T Raghumani of Ingourok Mamang Leikai.

Family members said that Maipak left home some eight years back to join the proscribed KYKL before becoming a member of the KYKL's splinter group KYKL-MDF.

Significantly, maipak was among the KYKL-MDF cadres who surrendered before the then GOC of 57 Mountain Maj Gen Shakti Gurung on October 26. After laying down arms during the surrender ceremony held at the 46 Assam Rifles camp and stayed there for sometime, he reportedly fled from the camp on the intervening night of February 1 and 2 this year.

The body has been handed over to family members after the post mortem at Lilong PHC.

Mention may be made that another KYKL-MDF leader namely Uttam was found shot dead at a Lamphelpat area on February 23, which the KYKL had claimed responsibility.

The killing of a PREPAK suspect at hiyanglam-Hiranmei, which is under Kakching police station took place at around 8 am of March 2 and involved a joint team of Thoubal district police commandos and troops of 21 Assam Rifles.

The security team had reported recovery of one 9 mm pistol, a magazine with four live rounds, three empty cases, 19 empty cases of AK series rifle, two hand grenades and one demand note of the PREPAK from the possession of the deceased, later identified as one Huidrom Bidur (30) from Sekmaijin Mayai Leikai.

An encounter also ensued on March 2 morning in the surrounding areas of Maryland in Chandel district between armed cadres suspected to belong to the PLA outfit and a combined security team of Thoubal district police commandos, 15 AR and personnel of 120 Bn BSF.

One AR sepoy and two Maryland villagers suffered injuries, with the latter duo said to have been wounded by bomb splinters as the explosive device land on a house.

The injured are Shinglai Phungreishang alias Augustine (45) and his father in-law Ngahoiching (80). Shinglai got hurt on the left arm and Ngahoiching splinter scratch on the forehead area.

Both have been ruled out of danger.

The aR sepoy is informed to have suffered injury on the hand as the gun-fight lasted till the afternoon hours at the nearby Salungpham Mamang Chingthak, in Thoubal district.

A media team that reached the encounter site saw AR troops taking position at Wapaching, maryland and Tolen village of Chandel district with teams of Thoubal district police commandos in battle preparedness at Salungpham Mamang Ching and nearby hillocks.

Chief of Maryland JS Manjarchung told the media team that three/four encounters had taken place in and around the village in recent times creating panic in the villages.

Earlier, on March 1 morning a body with multiple wounds seemingly inflicted by a sharp weapon was recovered from Andro Khunman Salang Tampak.

The victim had been identified as one Chingakham Jugeshore alias Inao (27) s/o Kulla of Andro Khunman.

On the otherhand, body of Kharal Village Authority member namely AS Phungmi (35) was recovered on February 28 morning from near Ingourok ching (hillock), which is under Yairipok police station, in Thoubal district.

Locals speculate Phungmi to be victim of crossfire as an encounter reportedly took place on the previous night.

The Tangkhul Naga Aze Longphang, Tangkhul Aze Katamnao Long, South East Saikul Area Development committee and Shangpun Union have strongly condemned the killing of Phungmi.

As for the yaoshang festivities, sports events replaced merriment even as security personnel deployed at various points of the twin capital districts detained youngsters not possessing proper vehicle documents as a part of the police measures to check motor mishaps that were normally associated with the festival in the recent past.

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