Unidentified armed miscreants opened fire on a person at the gate of the SC Girls Hostel, Thanga Wangma High School, situated 3 km north of the Keibul Lamjao Police Station in Bishnupur district, Manipur on Wednesday around 8.50 am.
The victim has been identified as Sougaijam Dhanabir (28), son of S. Rajen from Churachandpur Yaiphakol Leikai, Thingkangphai. Dhanabir; his family has been in relief camps, namely Kamakhya Pemton College in Hiyangthang and the SC Girls Hostel at Thanga Wangma High School, since the outbreak of violence in the state in May last year.
It is yet to be ascertained as to why he was shot at and no group has claimed responsibility of the act so far. It is said, during his stay at the relief camp he also served as a village volunteer in the area.
According to reports, Dhanabir had visited his mother at the KP college relief camp on Monday due to her illness. The following day, he attended the last rites of a friend’s father at Tabungkhok.
Upon returning to the Thanga Wangma High School relief camp on Wednesday in a Hyundai Eon bearing registration number MN04P/9281, he was ambushed by armed miscreants before he could exit his vehicle.
Eyewitnesses said that the attackers came on a blue Honda Activa scooter, and Dhanabir mentioned that they used a silencer on their firearm, resulting in the absence of sound.
Dhanabir sustained five bullet wounds on his right and left abdomen and on his right hand. He was taken to Raj Medicity in Imphal where he underwent surgery.
Time to time, Dhanabir had volunteered to defend Meitei villages from the attacks carried out by Kukis as a village volunteer but there is no known instance of him being part of any particular organisation.
Keibul Lamjao Police Station has registered a case on the incident.
In a separate incident, two gunshots were fired at the residence of Salam Jiten in Moirang Kumam Leikai, under the jurisdiction of Moirang Police Station, Bishnupur district.
No casualties were reported, and the Moirang Police Station has registered a case.
Meanwhile, search operations and area domination were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts, it mentioned.
During the search operations, one country made 9mm Pistol with empty magazine, six 36-HE Grenades, three covers of 2-inch mortar smoke shell, four empty shells of 2-inch mortar smoke shell, one Tube launcher, one BP plate, one Baofeng hand sets, two BP vests, three cartridge chargers, two ring of grenade launcher were seized from Wangoo Yellangba hill area, Kakching district, it stated.
Movement of 183 and 198 vehicles along NH-37 and NH-2 respectively with essential items has been ensured. Strict security measures are taken up in all vulnerable locations and security convoy is provided in sensitive stretches in order to ensure free and safe movement of the vehicles, it stated.
It mentioned that a total of 130 Nakas/ Checkpoints were installed in different Districts of Manipur, both in the hill and the valley and Police detained 96 persons in connection with violations in different districts of the state.
