Student leader gunned down in Manipur

Imphal, June 24 (IANS) Suspected militants gunned down a student leader here in Manipur and the police, fearing a students agitation, have launched a massive manhunt to nab the killers, an official said on Saturday.

So far no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

President of the Haokip Students’ Organisation Letkholal Haokip was shot dead outside his home at Langol near here on Friday night.

The 40-year-old leader had just got out of his jeep when he was attacked from close range. Haokip sustained fatal bullet injuries, the police said.

His neighbours rushed him to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences here but he could not be saved.

The gunmen who came in a car managed to escape, said the police, who have registered a case. Officials said there were indications that the students might resort to an agitation.

In another incident in Tengnoupal district, a tribal farmer, T. Angshan, who was abducted on Thursday morning by two masked men, was found dead.

The kidnappers had said they wanted to speak to the 36-year-old farmer but his bullet-ridden body was recovered on Friday.

Activists said the farmer could not have offended any underground organisation and demanded the killers’ arrest. Police have registered a case but no arrest has been made so far.