AE abducted, grenade found

IMPHAL, Mar 5 : An Assistant Engineer of the Food Control Division (FCD)-I of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department has been abducted by unidentified persons while a grenade has been found placed at the residence of an Executive Engineer of the same department.AE Md Liyaqat Ali was abducted on his way to IFCD head-office at Khoya-thong in the morning of March 3. The identity of the abductors and their motives cannot be ascertained till date.Demanding safe release of the AE at the earliest, IFCD employees staged a protest sitting in front of their head-office at Khoyathong today.Meanwhile, one Chinese hand grenade found near the residential gate of IFCD, FCD-I EE Chongtham Ranbir at Chingamakhong this morning has been safely retrieved by explosive experts of Manipur Police.The grenade was found near the security sentry post of the EE.Speaking to reporters by the sideline of the protest agitation at Khoyathong today, Ranbir said that he has no idea about the identity and motives of those responsible for abducting AE Liyaqat and placing grenade near his residence.Disclosing that there has been no case of any monetary demand from any UG group, the Executive Engineer recalled that there were instances of bomb/firing attacks at his residence in addition to the attempt to abduct his cashier in the past.