Ashok Chakra awardee faces probe in kidnap,murder case

Kumar is one of only two serving Ashok Chakra awardees of the Army and is now posted at a training institution. The Ashok Chakra is the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry medal.

The incident dates back to June 10,2009,when Krishnadas,a contractor from Kakching in Thoubal district,was reportedly “abducted” by five armed men from his in-laws’ residence in Imphal. Two days later,he was found dead. Krishnadas is survived by his wife,Y Ongbi K Bimola,and his seven-year-old daughter Yengkhom Krishbeena.

Bimola claimed that on June 10,she had spotted a white Maruti van with four-five men,parked near their house,in the evening. At about 10 pm,a group of armed men reportedly barged into their house and dragged out Krishnadas.

“The next morning,I received a call demanding a ransom of Rs 2 crore. After negotiating,we brought down the ransom to Rs 25 lakh. I was told to hand over the money to a woman who would meet me near Tehra in Imphal,’’ said Bimola.

She handed over the money,but Krishnadas was found dead in Thoubal on June 12. According to the autopsy report,his body had multiple cuts caused by a sharp weapon.

The same day,the Manipur Police arrested Seram Ashalata,the woman who collected the ransom money from Bimola. She claimed her accomplice was Nando,who was then in jail for the kidnapping and murder of the daughter of former Education Minister Francis Ngajokpa.Nando named another jailed inmate,Laishram Gunamani,and four others — Mujibur Rahman,Md Islamuddin,Md Atao and one Vicky. While the other three were arrested earlier,Wangkheimayum Boy alias Vicky,was nabbed in February this year. Vicky was reportedly arrested earlier also on charges of being a member of an underground outfit.

“On February 2009,he was released on bail. As arranged by a jail inmate,he was picked up by Major Sreeram,the then post commander of 39 Assam Rifles located at Chingmeirong,and stayed at the camp with other UG (underground) members. During his stay there,he was utilised in the identification of other UGs and extortion of money from the general public and government employees under the instruction of Major Sreeram,” said a report by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (Imphal West),a copy of which is with The Indian Express.

During his interrogation,Vicky reportedly told the police that on June 10,2009,at around 8 pm,Major Kumar instructed him to accompany a civil team which was going to abduct Krishnadas. “Accordingly,he and his associates proceeded from the 39 AR (Assam Rifles) post in a white Maruti van toward Thangmeiband,and one of his associates followed on an olive green scooter,” said the magistrate’s report. Vicky reportedly told the police that Krishnadas was taken to the 39 AR post and handed over to Kumar.

According to the report filed by the investigating officer,S Ibomcha Singh,Kumar had briefed the accused “about the modus operandi for the mission’’. Singh said Kumar had accompanied the accused earlier in the day in an attempt to kidnap Krishnadas,but the plan had to be aborted. During the second attempt,which was successful,Kumar reportedly followed the accused in full uniform,in an official Gypsy,“giving security coverage’’.

When contacted,SP (Imphal West) Jayanata Kumar told The Indian Express,“To establish whether the Major was indeed involved,he needs to be examined first… All the other accused we have arrested have named this Major. We got in touch with his unit — 39 AR — last month and they told us he is now in Hyderabad,at an army training centre. When we got in touch with the centre,they told us that we need to route the request through his then unit,so we got in touch with 39 AR again.’’

According to his family,Krishnadas was a contractor and social worker who was planning to contest the 2012 assembly elections.

Earlier,a judicial commission appointed by the Supreme Court held that an encounter in Manipur carried out by a team led by Kumar was staged and that two cousins,Gobind and Nobo Meitei,had been “knowingly” targeted by security forces.