Around 200 armed men, reportedly members of the radical Metiei group Arambai Tenggol, attacked the house of a senior state police officer in Imphal East and abducted him along with one of his escorts on Tuesday, a day before the much anticipated Budget session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly began. According to the police, Additional Superintendent of Police Moirangthem Amit Singh and his escort were later rescued from the Kwakeithel Konjeng Leikai area and admitted to a private hospital in Imphal for treatment. The motive behind the incident is yet to be ascertained, they added. However, PTI quoted police officers to report that the incident occurred after Amit arrested six members of Arambai Tenggol for their alleged involvement in a car theft. The news agency also reported that the Indian Army was called in and four columns of the Assam Rifles were deployed in Imphal East after the incident. The police said the armed men had arrived at Moiangthem’s residence in the Wangkhei area of Imphal East at around 7 pm on Tuesday and vandalised the property. Four vehicles parked inside the property were damaged in the attack. The ASP's father, Dr Moirangthem Kulachandra, said his son was not present at his residence when they were attacked. Kulchandra said the attackers who were wearing some kind of uniform barged into the house and started ransacking the property. They opened fire following which the family members hid themselves, he added. The police said the ASP and additional security forces rushed to the spot after the attack. In the exchange of fire that ensued between the attackers and security personnel, two people were injured, and the ASP and his escort were abducted. All the injured were admitted to hospitals in Imphal East.
