KANGPOKPI, February 18: Several CSOs in Sadar Hills and UGs organization today strongly condemned the plantation of TNT bomb at near the entry gate of Presidency College, Motbung yesterday night.
A powerful TNT bomb weighing over 1 Kg. was found planted inside the fencing of TBA Centenary monolith near the entry gate of Presidency College, Motbung yesterday evening at around 7:30 pm.
A reliable source said that two unknown youths who came in an FZ bike are suspected to have planted the explosive at the site and sped away heading towards Imphal side.
Later, the bomb squad of the State police detonated the bomb in a safe area around midnight with assistance of State police personnel led by ASP, Kangpokpi Khuplen Lhouvum and 25 Assam Rifles jawans.
According to police source, the bomb squad/expert was amazed to find such a destructive and huge quantity of explosives and revealed that the TNT explosive found planted yesterday was the first of its kind in the State.
In connection with the incident, Motbung Area Women Organization staged a sit-in-protest today at Motbung bazar and condemned the incident in the strongest term.
More than 1000 people from the surrounding areas participated in the sit-in-protest.
Meanwhile, the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills and CSOs including KSO, TSA, KWU and various area bodies also lodged their disappointment over the incident and hugely condemned the act while adding that the act is to disintegrate the worthy administration of Sadar Hills.
Earlier, a powerful IED was planted and exploded at Kangpokpi Bridge and few years back similar incident occurred near Sapormeina Bridge and now in Motbung, said N. Sehjalien Gangte, secretary, KISH.
He concluded that it is a plot to crumble the peaceful administration and atmosphere of Sadar Hills.
The civil bodies asked the culprits to come up with their intention over the act at the earliest.
The civil bodies of Sadar Hills also lauded the commendable action of the security personnel and the state bomb squad/expert for their heroism in saving the lives of many innocent people of Sadar Hills particularly the denizens of Motbung village.
A SoO group under UPF, Kuki Revolutionary Front (KRF) also strongly condemned the planting of the TNT explosive at Motbung and sought explanation from the perpetrators.
The outfit Information & Publicity secretary, Lincoln Kuki lamented that KRF wants peaceful environment and healthy coexistence in its operational areas and that the outfit do not even want a non-SoO group to exist in the area so as to ensure smooth and proper functioning of the administration.
In the meantime, Thadou Youth Association (TYA-GHQ) in a separate press statement condemned the incident and alleged that it was an intention to sow the seeds of communal disharmony among the people.
It also said that various community including Thadous, Meiteis, Nepali lives in Motbung and this act is carried out in order to create mutual distrust among the various communities by the unknown miscreants.
The association demands a thorough probe into the incident by the State government and give befitting punishment to perpetrators for crime against humanity and the perpetrators to clarify their act which could have cost many lives if it had not been discovered in time and asked whoever it is not to repeat such act in future.