Miscreants exploded a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the gate of one executive engineer of Agriculture department in Khurai Thoidingjam Leikai under Porompat Police Station, Imphal East at around 3.50 am on Friday, causing heavy damages to properties. No casualties were reported in the blast. Condemning the blast, local groups staged sit-in protest against exploding bomb in residential area.
The house of executive engineer RK Virendra, 60, son of (L) Karnajit is located at a distance of around 2 kilometres towards North-West from Porompat Police Station. He is currently posted at the head office located at Sanjenthong.
As per sources, two unidentified persons came in a car at around 3.45 am and planted the suspected IED at the gate of Virendra. The bomb exploded at around 3. 50 am.
The CCTV camera installed at his gate was found to be no longer working, but the footage available from another CCTV camera installed at a nearby jewellery shop showed that the two miscreants drove away towards Ukhrul road after planting the bomb.
On receiving information of the blast, officials of Imphal East District Police along with a team of forensic science and Bomb Disposal Squad team arrived at the site and conducted an inspection.
As per the bomb experts, the bomb was a highly powerful IED. Due to the impact of the blast, a four-wheeler car (Brezza - MN01AK/7534) parked inside the gate suffered heavy damages. Another four-wheeler car (Maruti 800-MN01K/5172), which is owned by Virendra’s brother, RK Satendra, 50, parked in front of the gate as well as a four-wheeler (Maruti Van) belonging to their neighbour, Thoidingjam Biswajit ,45, suffered damages.
The blast also blew apart the frames of two windows installed at Virendra’s porch. It also broke neighbours’ windows and damaged their tin roofs.
According to police, Virendra had earlier received a monetary demand over a phone call from one UG group which sought money from the Agriculture department. Virendra had blocked the number.
In 2021, another bomb was found at the gate of Virendra’s younger brother RK Surendra ,54 who works as an executive engineer at PHED Kakching.
On Thursday night, another bomb exploded in front of a spare part shop at Nagamapal Lamabam Leikai under Imphal Police Station.
Meanwhile, Eastern Popular Club; Yaipha Lamjing Nupi Lup; Apunba Nupi Lup, Khurai along with Coordinating body of Khurai staged a sit-in protest at community hall of Khurai Thoidingjam Leikai, Imphal East decrying the bomb attack at a populated area.
Hijam ongbi Jina Devi a protestor said that the locals strongly condemn such attacks in a populated area where one fuel station is also located adjacent to the residence of Virendra.
Raising serious concerns that the blast could have claimed lots of innocent lives, she further questioned who would be held responsible if the fuel station happened to catch fire.
The location being a populated area, many students are also living there and they are taking their examinations. The blast has shocked many people in the area and they are still in a panicky situation, Jina added.
She appealed to those behind the blast to publicly clarify instead of planting bombs in populated areas. If there are misunderstandings, then it could be solved on a negotiating table instead of carrying out such attacks, she said.
Jina also appealed not to repeat such incidents in the near future as every misunderstanding can be solved without resorting to criminal activities.
