Imphal, Nov 05: Eight-year-old Leishingla, daughter of Manipur Minister of State for General Administration Francis Ngajokpa, a Naga, was kidnapped by suspected Kuki militants while returning home from school from airport road here yesterday. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh told mediapersons today that a family member of Ngajokpa received a call from someone who identified himself as an activist of the underground Kuki National Front (KNF) and demanded Rs.15 lakhs for the release of the abducted girl.
Official sources said top security officials were concerned over the kidnapping of a Naga girl allegedly by Kuki militants and added the issue was a sensitive one as it involved the two communities.
Condemning the incident, Ibobi Singh said there would not be any negotiation with the kidnappers and added that efforts were on to trace the whereabouts of the child.
Singh said since a minor member of the family picked up the phone, some doubts still persisted though the caller identified himself as a KNF man, he said.
He said the government had already provided adequate security to all Naga MLAs or ministers since some organisations had asked them to sign papers that their (Nagas) desire was to live under one administrative unit.
Ngajokpa is a Naga hailing from Ukhrul district bordering Myanmar, official sources said adding that no Naga member of the state assembly signed the papers.
Expressing concern over the series of kidnappings in the recent past, Singh said investigation was also on to find out whether the kidnapping was connected with other issues apart from ransom but did not elaborate further. Bureau Report