Imphal, February 27: In continued violence characteristic of lawlessness in the State, unidentified persons left a hand grenade at the compound of a newly constructed house belonging to Revenue Minister Th Debendra at Khurai Lairikyengbam Leikai even as the residence of an inspector in the Sericulture Department came under firing attack of unidentified gunmen at Thangmeiband today.

Footwear shops in Paona Bazar also remained shut since yesterday following monetary demand from a particular UG group.

According to information received by the press, unidentified persons left a Chinese made hand grenade at the residential compound of Revenue Minister Th Debendra at Lairikyengbam Leikai at around 12.25 pm today.

The hand grenade was picked up by bomb experts of State Police Department and later detonated near the bank of Imphal river at around 1.45 pm today.

Earlier during the day, two unidentified armed youths reportedly opened fire at the Thangmeiband Lairenhanjaba Leikai residence of one Chanambam Helendro (45) who works as an Inspector in the Sericulture Department.

The incident took place at around 5.40 am today.

The armed youths reportedly fired four rounds before fleeing from the area.

However, there is no report of injury in the firing.

Imphal Police Station under whose jurisdiction the incident took place as registered a case in this connection.

On the other hand, all the shops selling footwears in Paona Bazar just adjacent to the flyover bridge remained closed for the second consecutive day today following huge monetary demand from one particular UG group.

The UG group has reportedly demanded Rs 10 lakhs from all the footwear shops as 'annual tax'.

Around 200 shop keepers of Lamlong bazaar in Imphal East also downed their shutters today decrying monetary demands from a UG group.

The shop keepers would also staged a sit-in-protest tomorrow in this regard.