Five houses go up in flames at Checkon
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 27 2023:
A fire originating from unknown sources burnt at least five houses at Checkon under Porompat police station today at around 2 pm.
It is not yet known whether the fire spread from an unattended flame, short circuit, LPG leakage or was started by unknown miscreants till the time of filing this report .
People living in the nearby area, however, suspected that the fire might have been started by miscreants deliberately to depict it as a law and order problem.
The fire was doused before it spread to nearby structures by the personnel of Manipur Fire Services.
Speaking to media persons, secretary of New Checkon Bazaar Women Society, Nongpok Ingkhol, Huidrom Malini said that the area where the inferno took place cannot be entered easily by the people specially in broad daylight.
To reach the place where the houses caught fire, one has to either pass through Central security forces at New Checkon Chingmang Leikai or take the particular alleyway at New Lambulane which is tightly fenced, Malini continued.
Claiming that the fire might have been started by a group of people who know the place well, she asked the purpose of deploying the Central security forces if they couldn't control arson even in broad daylight.
It is reported that Imphal East police brought out a two-wheeler vehicle, one bag of rice and a LPG cylinder in a mini-truck from the site when the fire extinguishing work was nearing completion.
The mini-truck however was stopped by a large number of people near New Checkon traffic point who then threw the LPG cylinder in the drain, tossed out the bag of rice and turned down the vehicle.
The police managed to pick up the vehicle and went away with it after dispersing the mob by firing rounds of tear gas shells.
Tight security measures have been taken up at the New Checkon area.
It may be mentioned that a locked house at New Lambulane was also burnt down on June 15 by one Edward Haokip (53) of the same locality and he was arrested along with a single barrel gun by the police the same day.