The two-day session of the Manipur assembly starting on Monday will take up the issue of the 'death sentence' issued by a militant outfit to the state's education minister and five officials of the education department.

The Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) accuses Minister of  State for Education Munirudin Shaikh and the officials of corruption. It abducted the five officials last week and has threatened to kill them on December 31.

The officials are Deputy Secretary Kh Raghumani, the minister's personal security officer Inspector Nasir Ahmed, N Shyamcharan, O Priyokumar and Sh Ranjit.

The wives of the five officials have appealed to the banned outfit to spare their husbands' lives on humanitarian grounds while accepting the mistakes committed by their spouses.

On Saturday and Sunday, all major dailies in Imphal carried advertisements of the plea of the wives of the five officials.

"Please give my husband a chance to correct his mistakes and also consider my plight those of my three children. Giving pardon is the biggest justice of humankind. My KYKL brothers, please spare my husband's life. I wish you all success in your endeavour to correct the ills of society," an advertisement by Mamata Devi, wife of Manipur Civil Services (MCS) officer Kh Raghumani, said.

Appeals have also come in from all sections of society urging the KYKL to reconsider its decision and give the officials an opportunity to correct their mistakes. All public appeals unfailingly praised the outfit's campaign against corruption in the school education department.

The BJP, the Democratic People's Party, the Manipur People's Party and the Manipuri Students' Federation have also appealed for the officials' release.

The KYKL had earlier called for public debate on the issue. It said the decision to execute the officials was a desperate measure to cleanse the school education department.

The state cabinet has also appealed to the KYKL to release the officials and has ordered an inquiry into the corruption charges. The cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, late on Sunday night, resolved not to spare any official found guilty.

In an appeal, the cabinet said the five persons would be required for giving testimony.

More reports from Manipur