NEW DELHI: The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Monday arrested a self-styled 'commander-in-chief' of Kuki National Front (KNF) Manipur from Dwarka Sector 7. He was wanted in several incidents of kidnapping for ransom, arms snatching, firing, extortion, robbery and others in different police stations.
The accused has been identified as Mangkholam Kipgen aka David Kipgen (24), resident of Kangpokpi, Manipur. DCP (Special Cell) Pramod Kumar Singh said the accused operated a vast network of armed militants and was planning to kidnap employees of a construction company, involved in construction of roads and other establishments in Manipur for the purpose of ransom.
"On Sunday, Inspector Ravinder Kumar Tyagi received information about the movement of a wanted insurgent of Manipur. Following this, a team led by Tyagi, under supervision ACPs Lali Mohan and Hridya Bhushan laid a trap. The accused came to the place, where he was arrested on identification by the informer," said DCP Pramod Singh Kushawah.
He said the accused was a school dropout and had come in contact with KNF cadres of his village in 2018. Soon he became notorious in Manipur for snatching weapons of armed/police force, extortion and other heinous activities.
"In June 2020, he declared himself as self-styled commander-in-chief of KNF. He kidnapped two sentries of Kangvai police outpost and took one service rifle in 2020. In 2021, on Kuki's Black Day, KNF declared total shutdown in the state restricting movement of vehicles and closing down all administrative offices. They noticed the movement of a truck along the NH-2 in Kangpokpi district and opened fire on it for violating the shutdown call," said the official.
School dropout who turned to crime
According to DCP Pramod Kumar Singh, the accused operated a vast network of armed militants and was planning to kidnap employees of a construction company, involved in construction of roads and other establishments in Manipur for the purpose of ransom. The accused was a school dropout and joined KNF cadres in 2018