IMPHAL, August 24: A powerful Improvised Explosive Device blast, suspected to be remote controlled which exploded along the roadside next to the Deputy Commissioner (Imphal West)`s office complex some 300 meters away from the 143 Central Reserve Police Force camp at around 5:45pm under Lamphel police station left three civilians injured.
All three have been rushed at RIMS for treatment.
Later, in the afternoon, local meira paibis came out strongly against the blast and staged a sit in protest at the Khulem Leikai Meira Sanglen.
The three injured have been identified as Sanajam Jiten Singh (49), son of Budhi; Laishram Nimai (27), son of Shamjai both from Naoremthong Laishram Leirak opposite Deputy Commissioner Office Imphal west and Loveboy (30), son of Surendra of Chingai Ukhrul District at present, staying at RIMS staff Quarter.
Jiten and Nimai were hit by splinters on their faces and shoulders while Loveboy received only minor injuries.
The explosion was triggered just when two CRPF vehicles of a convoy including a water tanker were passing along the road.
Soon after receiving reports of the powerful explosion, a large number of police personnel including the Officer in Charge of Lamphel Police Station and DIG CRPF rushed to the site.
Meanwhile, coming out strongly against the blast in the residential and busy area, womenfolk and local club members of the area staged a sit in protest at the Khulem Leikai Meira Sanglen organized by the Khulem Leikai Meira Paibi Association, Leishram Leikai Development Committee.
The demonstrators further demanded whosoever is involved to clarify and further appealed not to conduct such violent acts in crowded residential areas.
Meanwhile, a Chinese hand grenade was found at the residential gate of an Additional Chief Engineer of the state PWD Mechanical Circle at Thangmeiband DM College campus near Sikkim Manipal University Branch at around 7:30 am.
It is suspected that unidentified miscreants had left the grenade of the engineer identified as Mutum Thaimol (59), son of Radheshyam.
Following the discovery of the grenade, a team of police rushed to the site and safely picked up the grenade. Later, the bomb was safely disposed by a State bomb expert team at Lamphel garbage dumping site at around 10am. Late in the evening around 4 pm, another hand grenade was found inside the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences complex from a bush near the RIMS blood bank. The grenade was found by hospital employees who were conducting a social service in the area.
According to the police, they were informed of the presence of the bomb in an open area by the RIMS authority after the bomb was found among the bush.
The bomb was safely detonated by a team of State bomb experts at around 4:35 pm.