Manipur police arrest man for 3 bomb blasts in Imphal

IMPHAL: A 46-year-old man has been arrested for a string of low-intensity blasts in and around Manipur capital Imphal in recent weeks, a police officer said on Tuesday.

Imphal West district superintendent of police (SP) Ksh Shivakanta Singh said explosives, detonators and cordtex wires used in the blasts have been seized at the instance of the suspect identified as Thounaojam Rishi Luwangcha of Imphal East district’s Kangla Sangomsang Makha Leikai area.

The suspect allegedly told the police that he was recruited by an armed group, the National Revolutionary Front of Manipur, in September last year and was given the explosives by the outfit’s self-styled commander through an unidentified person.

Thounaojam Rishi Luwangcha said he was paid ₹30,000 for each blast, the police officer said.

Singh said Luwangcha had spoken of his involvement in the blasts near a shop in Nagamapal on May 5, near a house in Khurai Thoidingjam Leikai on May 6 and the blast near Imphal’s Little Flower School on June 5.

“So he disclosed that he was involved in these three blast incidents in the last one and half months. Further investigation is going on and I think in due course of time we will get to know more about his plans, motives and political angles,” the district police chief said.

At his instance, Singh said, police seized three bundles of cordtex wires which are usually used in mining, 58 explosive sticks weighing 7.3kg and nearly 400 detonators.