Man hit by stray bullet in Wangkhei shootout

IMPHAL, Jan 22 : An elderly man who was hit by a stray bullet was hospitalized today after being injured in a firing at Wangkhei Angom Leikai in Imphal east around 10 am.

According to locals of the area the firing took place between two unknown groups, one of which came on a motorcycle from Kongba side and four other persons who came in a Getz car. The firing continued for five minutes.

The injured person who was hit by the bullet was identified as Thoudam Thambou, 74, of Wangkhei Angom Leikai. He was hit on his right hip and was admitted to the RIMS Hospital. He is stated to be out of danger, according to doctors at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the Thoubal police commandos and 21 Assam Rifles on receiving information on the presence of KYKL activists at Lamjao and Wabagai villages on January 19 rushed to the area at around 6 pm and found some armed militants at Keirak Leirak Achouba who fired upon the security men.

During the ensuing encounter which lasted for around 10 minutes some six to seven militant suspects were seen running towards the village side. Although the security men chased the miscreants they managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

After the encounter, the security men searched the area where they found the body of slain suspect. They also recovered a 9 mm pistol marked `China 44 27004` and a magazine loaded with two live rounds of 9 mm from near the dead body, a release from the SP Thoubal said.

Meanwhile, in other incidents the Imphal east police commandos also made some arrests yesterday.

A team of the Imphal east police commandos nabbed a KCP(MC) cadre named Waikhom Ibomcha alias Bomcha, 30, son of W Kulla of Bashikhong Kongba Irong from the Kongba area yesterday around 7.30 am, a release from the Imphal east SP said.

The cadre disclosed during interrogation that he joined the KCP organisation in the month of November 2008 and was involved in extortion of money from the general public, government officials and businessmen in the Imphal east areas.

Another team of the same commando unit arrested a PREPAK cadre named Nameirakpam Hemanta Singh alias Deva, 38, son of N Ibobi Singh of Lilong Shantipur from Minuthong yesterday at around 8.20 am.

The cadre disclosed that he joined the outfit in June 2008 and was involved in the extortion of money from the general public and government officials in the Imphal east area.