IED blast rocks Imphal city
Two AR jawans hurt, vehicles damaged
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 05 2012: A powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fitted in a scooter exploded in crowded Keishampat Junction at the heart of the capital city here this morning causing injury to two personnel of 28 Assam Rifles, one of them critically.

A Hyundai i10 car and a Tata Magic Van parked nearby also suffered partial damage in the explosion.

The incident occurred at around 8:45 am today near the Keishampat Community Hall.

The injured have been identified as Head Constable Rajendra Kumar (32) s/o Gopal Ram of Kotyared in Almari district of Uttarkhand and Rifleman Birendra (40), hailing from Himachal Pradesh.

Both of them have been admitted to Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for medical treatment.

Though the condition of Rajendrakumar is reported to be out of danger, Birender received multiple head injuries and is said to be in a serious condition.

Police inspecting the site of the bomb blast at Keishampat Junction

According to police reports, the blast could have been triggered with the help of remote control.

Since wreckage of a scooter was recovered from the site of the blast, police believed that the bomb might have been fitted in the vehicle.

A case has been registered with Imphal Police Station in connection with the incident.

According to information culled from the site of the incident, a grey coloured Bajaj Scooter was seen being parked in front of Yumjao Lairembi Community Hall located at Keishampat Keisham Leikai since early morning today.

The area normally serves as a resting point for personnel of 28 AR stationed at Singjamei Chinga during the daily Road Opening Party (ROP) duty.

As usual the AR personnel were on ROP from their Camp at Singjamei Chinga this morning.

As soon as the ROP team reached Keishampat Junction, some of them scattered all along the area.

Two of the personnel were resting on the staircase of Keishampat Yumjao Lairembi Community Hall when all of a sudden the bomb which was presumably fitted on the Bajaj Scooter parked at a distance of about 10 feet went off with a thundering sound.

The two AR jawans sustained injuries in the blast.

The impact of the blast also left one Hyundai i10 car (MN06L/4213) and a Tata Magic (MN01Q/3922), which were parking nearby partially damage.

The ill-fated Hyundai i10 car belonged to one Huidrom Somorjit (45) of Thoubal.

Soon after the bomb blast, DSP, Th Krishnatombi of Imphal West District Police Commandos, SDPO of Imphal West District Police Modhunimai and officials of AR rushed to the spot and made an enquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, condemning the bomb blast incident, womenfolk of Keishampat area under the initiative of Mahila Kalyan Samiti staged a sit-in-protest at the Keishampat Yumjao Lairembi Community Hall later in the afternoon today.