Police Day : Bomb blast bang near CM's residence makes celebration go limp
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 19 2008: It was literally a bucket of cold water after a hot shower ! .

While the top brass of the State Police Department and other biggies, including political leaders, were celebrating the Police Raising Day with dinner and entertainment programme at the 1st MR complex, a bomb blast shook the residence of the Chief Minister, with the bomb landing on the road lying to the north of the CM's bungalow today at 7.55 pm.

Though it is not yet clear whether the blast was a bomb attack aimed at the residence of the Chief Minister, it is significant to note that this is the second time that a bomb has been exploded near the CM's residence in recent time, the last one being the attack launched in the evening of September 1 this year.

When the blast occured, the 1st MR complex was a scene of celebration with everyone savouring the Police Raising Day held today amid much fanfare.

The site of bomb blast near the Chief Minister's residence on the northern side, the arrows show the bungalow and blast spot

No one was hurt in the blast but a car, a Tata Indica, belonging to the proprietor of Manipur Golden Travels Limited, Kulwant Singh was damaged.

Kulwant Singh was heading for the dinner programme of the Police Day at the 1st MR complex and the car suffered the damages as the bomb exploded as it was passing by.

With the bomb exploding at about the same time as Kulwant's car (MN1A-0002) was passing by, police personnel who were on frisking duty near Sanjenthong and near the CM's residence went after the car and overtook it near the office of the SSP of Imphal West.

The two doors of the car on the right side were hit by pellets from the bomb with the windows shattered.

The left tyre of the car was also punctured.

After the initial round of questioning, the police came to know that Kulwant Singh was heading for the dinner programme at the 1st MR complex.

The car has been taken to the Imphal West police station and Kulwant was escorted to the dinner venue by police personnel.

Police are still clueless over the bomb blast though they suspect that the bomb may be a Chinese hand grenade.

Significantly Chief Minister O Ibobi returned to Imphal from Delhi today.

As news of the blast spread, a number of top ranking police officials including the ADGP A Romenkumar, IGP (Intelligence) LM Khaute and SSP of Imphal West L Kailun police and others rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

A team from the 143 Bn CRPF also arrived to get a first hand account of the incident.

The place where the bomb blast occured is a highly fortified area.

The Chief Minister's residence is manned by two platoons of the CRPF while there is a checking point near Sanjenthong on the eastern side.

When the bomb went off today, there were policemen on frisking duty near the Sanjenthong bridge, Nupi Lan complex etc.

There was a police Gypsy on duty parked on the northern side of the Chief Minister's residence.

Towards the northern side is Kangla where the 2nd IRB is housed.

On the western side is the Post Office which is manned by CRPF round the clock while towards the south, there is the Police Headquarters, followed by the office of the SSP of Imphal West, the office of the Chief Secretary including the Secretariat where a number of Ministers sit.

A CRPF officer at the spot said that it is unlikely that the bomb could have been hurled and added that it could have been dropped from a moving vehicle.

At the moment nothing is being ruled out, but at the same time, there is nothing for the police to work upon.

No organisation has claimed responsibility for the bomb blast either, till the time of filing this report late in the evening.

Following the bomb blast and in a typical response to the bomb blast security has been beefed up all over, especially along the all the roads that lead to the Chief Minister's residence.

Additional police vehicles have been put on duty at the Sanjenthong side.