Imphal, April 24: Manipur?s most active vigilante group, the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), today declared that corruption in the sphere of education would henceforth attract ?capital punishment? instead of just a bullet in the leg.

?Corruption in the education department will not be tolerated anymore. Based on the gravity of the crime, death penalty will be given without any warning to officials found guilty of corruption,? Langamba Mangang, the outfit?s publicity and research secretary, said in a statement.

The group?s warning comes in the wake of a series of scandals in the school education department, including illegal appointments, fraudulent withdrawal of provident fund money and misappropriation of funds meant for various schemes.

Two Assembly committees have been conducting separate inquiries into cases of illegal appointments and fraudulent withdrawals from the employees? provident fund.

The KYKL owned up to the recent attack on suspended school education director Ch. Jayenta Singh, whom it has charged with facilitating illegal appointments, misusing funds meant for infrastructure development and fraudulently withdrawing money from the provident fund.

Two gunmen had opened fire on Jayenta Singh when he was coming out of his Keishampat residence in a car on April 4. The injured official is undergoing treatment.

?The KYKL decided to award capital punishment to the director for his corrupt practices,? Mangang said.

Operation New Kangleipak, the outfit?s campaign against corruption in the education sector, was launched a few years ago. Members of the group?s ?anti-corruption wing? are known to shoot alleged offenders in their legs. Several teachers accused of encouraging the use of unfair means in examinations and officials allegedly involved in illegal appointments have already been targeted.

?Many have been hauled up and their ill-gotten money has been confiscated. However, there is no stopping certain elements from indulging in corruption,? the KYKL publicity secretary said, justifying the decision to decree ?capital punishment? to alleged offenders.

Journalists at the receiving end of strong-arm tactics employed by another militant group, however, received an apology today. The City Meitei faction of the Kangleipak Communist Party expressed ?regret? for holding six editors hostage for a night and promised not to repeat such acts.

The KCP faction also lifted its ban on the Imphal Free Press, an English daily.

The militant faction had invited the six editors to a news conference in Imphal West district on April 16, but did not allow them to return until the next morning. The group freed them only after their newspapers published a statement that had been previously ignored. The statement was on the outfit?s raising day.