IMPHAL, Jan 27 � Two abducted Manipur truck drivers and a handyman were released after nine days in ultra captivity. Two drivers, namely, Longjam Arun Singh, Thokchom Jiten Singh and a handyman � Nanao @ Suresh Singh who were allegedly abducted by suspected Karbi Peoples Liberation Tiger (KPLT) ultras in Assam�s Karbi Anglong district some days back, reached Imphal on Tuesday.
The drivers and the handyman recalling their ordeal said that they were beaten up besides being threatened of geting killed if the ultras� extortion demands were not met.
At the time of their release, they were driven out from an undisclosed camp with no instructions of which road to take. After reaching a place called Deohpani along NH 39, they hired an auto-rickshaw to reach Dimapur from where they caught an Imphal-bound bus from the inter-State bus terminus.
The All Manipur Road Transport and Motor Workers� Union�s secretary Kullamani reminded that this was not the first case of torture and abduction of drivers and handymen on NH 39. The 50 kilometer stretch of NH 39 within the forest of Karbi Anglong district has become another danger point for the drivers, he added. A meeting has been called on January 28 to take a final decision on the matter of plying of vehicles on NH 39.
