Imphal, Dec. 16: Police today confirmed that a militant group kidnapped Manipur University vice-chancellor N. Bijoy Singh and registrar R.K. Ranjan Singh on Monday, triggering an indefinite suspension of all classes in the state?s premier institute for higher education.

Neither the families of the abducted persons nor the university authorities have filed a complaint with the police.

Ranjan Singh?s driver S. Sunil, who had been kidnapped along with the university bosses, was ostensibly freed last evening. The police interrogated him to confirm that a rebel group was holding the vice-chancellor and the registrar hostage.

Police officials, however, declined to disclose the identity of the group behind the kidnapping. ?Yes, we have confirmed that the vice-chancellor and the registrar were abducted by an underground group. But we do not want to disclose the name of the group for the moment to ensure that the officials are safe. If we reveal who the kidnappers are, the hostages will be in danger,? a senior officer said.

Sunil is understood to have told interrogators that he and the two officials were kidnapped from Lilong in Thoubal district on Monday afternoon. The group behind the incident had summoned the vice-chancellor and the registrar to Lilong, the police said.

However, the police are yet to establish whether the kidnappings were for ransom. Police teams raided several suspected militant hideouts in a bid to trace the whereabouts of the kidnapped officials.

Members of four organisations ? Manipur University Officers? Association, Manipur University Teachers? Association, Manipur University Staff Association and Manipur University Students? Union ? began a relay strike on the campus.

Assam blast

Militants suspected to be from the banned Ulfa made a mockery of security arrangements in Assam?s capital city for the fourth time in as many days, hurling a grenade that killed one person and injured 11 in the business district of Paltan Bazar.

The explosion occurred around 5.15 pm near Nalini Bala Devi Park in Guwahati. City superintendent of police Hiren Chandra Nath said a ?preliminary investigation? pointed towards a grenade attack.