Rivalry between two villages, chairman killed in Manipur

A village chairman was killed and another functionary kidnapped by members of a rival village in Manipur's interior Ukhrul district bordering Myanmar, police said today.
Chairman of Hallal Ato village V R Abner and secretary V S Simther were allegedly kidnapped by members of the neighbouring Hallal village yesterday.
When the police rushed to the area from the district headquarters, they were told by the leaders of both the villages that they would settle their issue centering over a plot of land.
Accordingly, the police returned to their office.
However, Abner's body was found near his village late last evening. Simther's whereabouts were not yet known.

Efforts were on to settle the issue between the two villages by urging the villagers, particularly of Hallal, to help locate Simther.

Tension was prevailing in the interior hill tirbal villages near Indo-Myanmar border, reports from the district said.
In another incident, a mob ransacked and destroyed the office property of Naga militant outfit NSCN-IM at their office at Senapati district of Manipur yesterday.
Reports received from Senapati district said this was a sequel to the killing of a youth, A Sepao, allegedly by NSCN-IM members who suspected that Sepao was working against the outfit.
Official sources said the NSCN-IM which has been holding peace talks with the central government for over 14 years was allowed to open its office at Senapati and other Naga-inhabited districts of both Manipur and Nagaland.