Rebels buy homes in Guwahati

NIA orders attachment of flats allegedly belonging to Manipur militant leaders
PANKAJ SARMA

Pink Arcade on K.C. Sen Road at Paltan Bazar in Guwahati. Picture by UB Photos
Guwahati, Sept 13 : Leaders of Manipur-based militant groups are not only using this city as a transit point but also buying residential properties here with their ill-gotten money.
The trend came to light after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) issued orders for attachment of properties worth several lakhs of rupees allegedly bought by two top leaders of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) in Guwahati in the name of their spouses.
An official source said one of the flats that was attached by the NIA allegedly belongs to Ningthoujam Tombi Devi, wife of self-styled commander-in-chief of KYKL, Ningthoujam Tomba, alias Koireng alias N. Rajen.
The flat, which has a built-up area of 1,114 square feet, is on the first floor of Punya Enclave on the R.G. Baruah Road near Ganeshguri.
“Another flat attached by the investigation agency belongs to Asha Lata Devi, who is the wife of self-styled information and publicity secretary of KYKL, Chirom Robert Meitei, alias Chirom Ranjit alias Lanngamba,” he said.
This flat, which has a built up area of 1,417 square feet, is on the first floor of Pink Arcade located on K.C. Sen Road at Paltan Bazar.
While Tombi Devi is from Kongkham of Bishnupur district in Manipur, Asha Lata Devi hails from Waheng Khuman Mamang Leikai in Imphal West.
The orders were issued under Section 25 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, by NIA superintendent of police Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo, the chief investigation officer of case number 6/2010, which was registered for probing the illegal and secessionist activities of the outfit.
“These flats were attached since the NIA has sufficient reason to believe that these properties were purchased from illegally acquired proceeds and terror funds,” the source said.
“After issuing of the attachment orders, the owners cannot sell or deal with the properties in any way whatsoever except with the permission of the NIA,” he said.
According to the source, the KYKL leaders are suspected to have bought properties not only in Guwahati but also in places like Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Kurseong and Gangtok using money extorted by the outfit from Manipur.
“Ningthoujam Tomba, who was arrested from Darjeeling in West Bengal in March last year, had opened two accounts at the Guwahati branch of ICICI Bank in two different names. Money extorted by the outfit was deposited in these two accounts, which was subsequently used for funding various anti-national activities of the KYKL,” he said.
The NIA had found that he had also obtained a passport in the name of Ningthoujam Rajen Singh in October 2009 from the regional passport office in Guwahati by submitting fabricated documents.
“KYKL’s case is only the tip of the iceberg and a thorough investigation is needed to bust the activities of Manipur rebels in Guwahati,” the source said.
In the past year, 50-odd rebels belonging to various militant outfits of Manipur, the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak) and the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), were arrested from the city.