Demand to free Manipur truckers

Abductors seek Rs 30 lakh, transporters submit memorandum

Okram Ibobi Singh Imphal, June 2: Manipur transporters today urged the chief minister to take up the matter of abduction of four truck drivers from the state with the Assam government. The four drivers, who were abducted from Karbi Anglong district of Assam on May 27, remain untraced. Owners of the trucks today said they had received calls from unidentified persons after the abduction, demanding a ransom of Rs 30 lakh for the four drivers. The All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers Union today submitted a memorandum to chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, urging him to take up the matter with Dispur. The memorandum, copies of which were submitted to chief secretary P.C. Lawm-kunga and director-general of police Shahid Ahmed, warned the government that if the situation continued, Manipur’s truckers would be compelled to stop supply services. According to the memorandum, some unknown persons abducted the drivers, who were ferrying biscuits and soft drinks to Imphal, when they stopped near a petrol pump at Ambrajan under Bokajan police station around midnight. The helpers were left behind with the trucks. The drivers have been identified as Soibam Khomei, 43, his younger brother Soibam Sanatomba, 26, Langpoklakpam Sarat Singh, 38, and Elangbam Romen, 30. “We tried to trace the whereabouts of the drivers and identify the abductors. But our efforts drew blank. We have submitted the memorandum to the chief minister, urging him to take up the matter with the Assam government to secure safe release of the abducted drivers,” H. Kullamani, general secretary of the union, said. One of the truck owners said a person had called them and demanded Rs 30 lakh for the safe release of the drivers. The trucks are now in the custody of Bokajan police station. The families of the four drivers have been mounting pressure on the leaders of the union for safe release of the drivers. Sanatombi Devi, the mother of Khomei and Sanatomba, and wives of the two other drivers met leaders of the union today to get an update on the abduction. “My two sons are the bread earners of our family. It has been six days since they were abducted. We can’t eat, drink or sleep. We appeal to the abductors to release my sons on humanitarian ground. The Manipur and Assam governments should ensure safety of the drivers,” she said. Kullamani said the Manipur government should hold talks with its Assam counterpart and warned of a strike by Manipur’s truck drivers if the four drivers do not return. He said abductions for ransom and harassment of Manipur’s truckers along National Highway 2, which links Imphal and Guwahati and is the main supply line for Manipur, were frequent.