Fresh violence in Manipur: Man killed, minister home vandalised

The man who died in the violence was one of two who had been injured when suspected militants opened fire in the Thamnapokpi foothills of Bishnupur district on Wednesday morning. He later died at a hospital in Imphal.

At least one civilian was killed and a state minister’s house was vandalised in separate incidents as Manipur witnessed more violence on Wednesday in Bishnupur and Imphal West districts.

Following the incidents, curfew was imposed without any relaxation until further orders in Bishnupur, Imphal East, Imphal West and Jiribam districts.

The man who died in the violence was one of two who had been injured when suspected militants opened fire in the Thamnapokpi foothills of Bishnupur district on Wednesday morning. He later died at a hospital in Imphal.

On Wednesday evening, a mob stormed the residence of state minister Govindas Konthoujam in Ningthoukhong town in Bishnupur district, and allegedly vandalised property including furniture.

The minister was not at home, having gone to Imphal, when the incident took place. No one from his family  was injured. Konthoujam, the minister for the Public Works Department, and Youth Affairs and Sports, is also the BJP MLA from Bishnupur.

The Manipur government’s security advisor, Kuldiep Singh, said the first incident in the latest spate of violence took place on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, when three houses in the Tronglaobi area of Bishnupur district were set on fire. This set off more violence in the area as even more houses belonging to people from rival communities were burnt.

Singh said that the burnt houses were ones that had already been abandoned and that many of them had already been damaged or partially burnt.

The firing by suspected militants at Thamnapokpi took place at around 9.30 am. The man who died in the firing was identified as Toijam Chandramani Singh of Churachandpur’s Thengra Leirak. He had been sheltering at a relief camp in Moirang.

Separately, a civilian received bullet injuries in Singda Kadangband Part-1 in Imphal West after shots were fired by armed miscreants in the early hours of Wednesday.

The person has been evacuated to Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, for treatment.

Kuldiep Singh said security forces have been deployed in vulnerable areas.

Earlier this month, Manipur had seen violent clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities that left at least 70 dead, more than 200 injured and thousands displaced.