Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, December 06 2010:
At least five persons sustained injuries in a hand grenade blast in a grocery shop near Nagamapal Lai Eshing Chaibi in the heart of Imphal city today around 6.30 pm.
Two motorcycle-borne youths hurled the hand grenade at the grocery shop run by one Mahendra Bhagat, a resident of Bihar, presently residing at Nagamapal Lai Eshing Chaibi, according to reports culled out from the spot.
The five injured persons Naorem Pravin (50) of Wahengbam Leikai, Thongam Robindro (29) of Lilong Arapti Mayai Leikai, Konsam Ibocha Singh (34) of same locality, Akshay Nayak (33) and Pramod Malik (29), both residents of Orissa presently residing at Nagamapal were immediately rushed to RIMS Hospital.
Pravin received splinter injuries in the head, cheek, left hand and abdomen while Ibocha sustained injuries in the back, both hands, right leg and thigh.
Both Pravin and Ibocha are salesmen of a grocery shop next to the shop where the blast took place.
The bomb exploded when they were coming out of the shop after the day's
work.
Akshay Nayak and Pramod were labourers engaged in pipe repairing works.
Akshay sustained an injury in the right leg while Pramod was injured in the left side of his abdomen.
The blast hit them while they were in a discussion with Mahendra Bhagat, the owner of the shop where the blast took place.
Mahendra escaped unhurt, the report
said.
The bomb exploded in front of the shop.
After hurling the hand grenade, the two attackers were seen escaping toward the northern side of the shop on the Nagamapal road.
Grocery items like potato, onion, dal, pepper etc.
in the shop were damaged by the impact of the blast.
The motive behind the bomb attack could not be known to the shopkeeper who said that he had not received any monetary demand from any underground group.
A team of Imphal West police led by SDPO, Modhunimai rushed to the spot just after the blast had occurred.
Splinters of the bomb recovered from the blast side were seized for investigation.
Security was tightened in and around the Imphal city area after the blast.
Police conducted checking and frisking operations at various places.
However, there were no reports of arrests or rounding up of suspected persons, police said.