Suspected militants lock school gate, demand money

Militants locked a private school after the owners failed to pay Rs 30 lakh as extortion in Imphal West district of Manipur, officials said today.
The militants locked the main gate of Ram Krishna Higher Secondary School at Ghari area on the outskirts of the capital yesterday but the lock was broken by angry local residents.
Officials and people of the state have appealed to the militant outfits not to disturb the academic atmosphere in the state.
Sources said different militant outfits have been hurling bombs and grenades at school complexes in various parts of the state particularly in four valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishenpur and Thoubal for failure to meet their monetary demands.

A senior teacher of the Ram Krishna Higher Secondary School said the principal had received several phone calls in the past some days from a caller, who identified himself as a cadre of Kangleipak Communist Party-Military Council Lamyanba Khuman faction asking the principal to arrange the payment of their monetary demand of Rs 30 lakhs.
"How can the school authorities pay such a huge demand," he said, adding that the school was set up some years ago to cater to the needs of poor rural students.
Students and teachers, who arrived at the school yesterday morning, organised a sit-in at the nearby community hall and appealed to the militants not to disturb the smooth functioning of the school.

Local residents, who broke the lock, also joined the sit-in protest.