Police involved in car hijack

IMPHAL, June 11: A Toyota Innova car which was reportedly hijacked by gunmen on June 7 from Chingmeirong under Lamphel Police Station, was recovered by police at Singjamei Thokchom Leikai here this early morning, police said.

Police investigating the recovered vehicle'

Police said they believed some personnel of state police force were involved in the hijacking of the car which belongs to one Thowo of Taphou Samai of Senapati district, presently staying in Nagaland.

According to reports, on June 7 at about 11:30 some armed men in civilian uniform armed with weapons confronted the occupants of the white colour car in gun point at Chingmeirong and forcibly hijacked the car.

Thowo was coming from Nagaland to Imphal.

The gunmen blindfolded him at gun point and drove away with the car, Thowo said. He added that the gun was an AK 47 rifle and that the hijackers left the spot in a Gypsy along with his car.

A case has been registered with Lamphel Police Station and they said they had been working very hard to find the car. They also said that it was most likely that the hijackers were personnel of state forces either with the commandos or regular policeman.

Police reports further said, the Tata Innova car was left unattended at Singjamei Thokchom Leikai at around 9 pm last night.

After bringing the car on the embankment of the Imphal river in Singjamei Thokchom Leikai, they slowly slided the car after switching off the starter with parking lights on in the lane between Thokchom Leikai and Chongtham Leikai.

The hijackers fired some five rounds in the air after leaving the car there.

Residents in the area informed the police regarding the unattended car following which they recovered it this early morning. The car was left without its registration number plate.

The police also called in detectives of the CID Crime Branch which took finger prints from the car. Later, a TI parade was held in a bid to identify the culprits involved in the hijacking case.

Police are optimistic about the arrest of the guilty personnel within a few days.