Serial blasts damage Chalou hall partially
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, January 09 2012:
Three powerful IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) exploded close to the Irabot Memorial Park community hall at Lamlai Chalou along Imphal-Ukhrul Road in Imphal East district in the wee hours of Monday.
No one was injured in the serial blasts, but the hall suffered some damage.
After the first blast which occurred at around 1:30 am, two more IEDs went off in quick succession.
The hall is situated adjacent to locality of Agriculture Minister Pharoijam Parijat.
The blasts caused some damages to the ceiling, staircase and gallery of the hall.
Police said they also recovered another three IEDs and a gas cylinder from the site of the blast.
The recovered IEDs have been subsequently defused by a bomb squad of the state Police Department.
Meanwhile, the Coordination Committee (CorCom), a conglomerate of seven UG groups, which has been targeting Congress offices in connection with its ban on then party, has denied hand in Monday's blasts at Lamlai Chalou.
Agriculture Minister Parijat, while speaking to the media after the incident, said that the CorCom had informed over phone that the group was not involved in the blasts.
The Minister has suspected political hands behind the plan to destroy the hall.