Manipur police on Tuesday claimed armed group, National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM) was behind the recent series of bomb blasts in Imphal area with the arrest of an active cadre of the group.
A team of police commandos attached with Imphal West district police arrested an alleged NRFM active cadre identified as Thounaojam Rishi Luwangcha (46) of Kangla Sangomshang of Imphal East district.
The police commandos arrested him during an operation at his locality around 10 pm on Monday.
Explosive materials and tools used in assembling bombs were also recovered during the operation, police claimed.
Addressing reporters at Imphal West district police headquarters, SP Ksh Shivkanta Singh claimed that apart from other items, police recovered a detonator fitted on a cordtex wire of one foot approximately, 58 PEK sticks weighing around 7.358 kg approximately, three coils of cordtex wire, 397 detonators and two batteries.
On further searching his house, a soldering iron rod, bolt cutter, ratchet wire stripper, cutter blade, 18 small iron rods and an insulating tape were also recovered, he claimed.
The SP said that based on specific information, the police commando team led by additional SP (Ops) M Amit Singh rushed to the area last night and launched a search operation.
While the operation was in progress, a person was seen running behind the house and overpowered by police commandos who chased him.
He was found carrying a jar that contained explosives and other materials used in assembling bombs, the SP claimed.
During spot verification, the detained person disclosed that he is a cadre of the NRFM that was behind series of bomb blasts in Imphal area, including the latest blast at Little Flower School, Imphal.
He was also behind the bomb blasts at a shop in Nagamapal on May 5 and at a house at Khurai Thoudingjam Leikai on May 6, the SP alleged.
He joined the armed group (NRFM) in September, 2021 and worked under the command of one self-styled chairman Dhaballo, presently based in Bangladesh.
He received the explosive substances from his commander through an unknown person in January, 2022 and would receive Rs 30,000 for each bomb blast, the SP said.
A mobile phone, Rs 9,000 and his Aadhaar card were recovered from him.
Vehicles and some other particular clothes used in the commission of the recent bomb blasts were also recovered from his house, the SP added.
The arrested person and the seized items will be handed over to Lamlai PS for further necessary actions.
Meanwhile, protests against the June 5 blast at the gate of the Little Flower School, Imphal continued with a rally in Imphal on Tuesday.
Parents, guardians, well-wishers of the school, teachers and ex-students of the school joined the rally carried out by the students and teachers of the school.
On the previous day, the students and teachers of the school had also staged a sit-in-protest in front of the school to register a strong protest against the blast.
An IED planted by miscreants went off at gate no. 2 of Little Flower School, around 3.15 am on Sunday. There was no report of any causality but a portion of the gate was damaged by the impact of the blast.
While protesting against the blast, students and teachers demanded making the education zone free from all kinds of crimes.
NSF condemns bomb blast at school gate in Manipur
Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has expressed deep concern over the bomb blast at the gate of Little Flower School, Sangaiporou, Imphal on June 5.
NSF president Kegwayhun Tep and education secretary Medovi Rhi in a press release strongly condemned the dastardly act perpetrated within the premises of an educational institution, causing immense trauma in the minds of students.
While the entire region was collectively striving towards peace and stability, they said such dastardly act negated the very aspiration of the general populace and ought to be outrightly condemned by all right-thinking citizens.
They also appealed for peace in the region and urged the competent authority to leave not stone unturned in bringing the culprits to book, while also sparing no efforts in uprooting those elements and practices that were against the social stability and progress of the region.
The duo declared that NSF stood in solidarity and extended its fullest support to Little Flower School in the pursuit towards a secure future where the entire region would thrive together in harmony.
