Manipur attack on army convoy: NIA announced cash rewards

The NIA today announced cash rewards ranging from Rs 2-7 lakh on information leading to the arrest of 24 wanted rebels in connection with the killing of 18 army men in Manipur in June.

According to the NIA, the attack on the army convoy in Chandel area of the northeastern state was jointly carried out by banned Naga group NSCN-K and Manipur-based KYKL, KCP and KLO.

The agency has already announced cash reward of Rs 7 lakh and Rs 10 lakh on information leading to arrest of NSCN-K chief S S Khaplang and Niki Sumi, self-styled chief of the armed wing of NSCN-K, respectively.

The attack, as per the investigations by the NIA, was carried out mainly by 15 cadres of Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) using 'Lathod guns' and grenades.

However, the agency said, the conspiracy to carry out the attack was hatched somewhere along the Indo-Myanmar border in which cadres of NSCN-K, KYKL, Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) had allegedly participated.

The wanted list includes Starson Lamkang, in-charge of the finance of NSCN (K) and also allegedly involved in the decision making and directions for the June 4 attack. Rs 7 lakh has been announced on information leading to his arrest.

Others include chief of banned KCP Noyon Singh and head of banned KYKL Namoijam Oken. Rs 5 lakh each has been announced for their arrest.

The wanted list has 15 cadres of KYKL, five of KCP, three from NSCN-K and one from KLO.
While Thoiba and S Mangal of KYKL carry a bounty of Rs four lakh each on their head, the cash reward for anyone providing information leading to the arrest of the other cadres is Rs two lakh.

There are reports that 75-year-old Khaplang was in a hospital and later shifted to Taga, a place which is at a junction of India-Myanmar-China border.

NSCN-K and all its front organisations and formations were declared as outlawed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The group, which had signed a peace agreement in March 2001, had withdrawn unilaterally from the ceasefire agreement in March after it was alleged that the area along Indo-Myanmar border being under their control was fast turning out to be 'safe-zone' for northeast militants.