Separatist rebels in India's northeastern state of Manipur say they killed the chief engineer of a hydroelectric power project at Loktak lake on Wednesday.

The victim, S C Sher, took up his post only three months ago.

Police only came to know of the killing on Thursday.

They quoted eye-witnesses as saying that after shooting Mr Sher, the rebels warned local people not to inform the police.

The BBC correspondent in Calcutta says a relatively obscure Manipuri separatist group, the Kangleipak Yawol Kana Lupor the Manipur Army for Independence said it carried out the attack, which he says has created panic amongst the state's bureaucracy and technical staff. Last year, another group of separatist rebels kidnapped the chief engineer of the Dumbur power project in the neighbouring state of Tripura.

He was released on payment of a ransom after intervention by the human rights group, Amnesty International.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service