Manipur CM orders NIA probe into Bishnupur bomb attack that killed two children

Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on April 7 said the investigation into the bomb attack in Bishnupur district that killed two children will be handed over to the National Investigation Agency.

Addressing a press conference, the chief minister condemned the incident as a “barbaric act” and said it appeared to be the “handiwork of individuals or groups with vested interests in disturbing the prevailing peace in the state”. He said the decision followed consultations with the state home minister and legislators.

“We believe the attack was carried out by those who want to disturb peace in the state. We have told security forces to apprehend the perpetrators at the earliest, even today if possible,” he said.

The explosion took place around 1 am in the Moirang Tronglaobi area when a bomb was hurled at a house by suspected militants. A five-year-old boy and a six-month-old girl were killed, while their mother sustained injuries. Police said the victims were asleep when the device exploded inside the house.

The chief minister said the perpetrators have not yet been identified and that a large-scale combing operation is underway. Security personnel, including state police, Assam Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force, have been deployed, with aerial surveillance also being used.

Appealing for calm, he urged residents not to “give in to emotions” and to cooperate with security forces as efforts continue to restore normalcy.

The incident triggered widespread protests across parts of the state. In Tronglaobi, demonstrators torched two oil tankers and a truck near a petrol pump, burnt tyres outside Moirang Police Station and damaged a makeshift police outpost. Similar protests were reported in parts of Imphal, where roads were blocked and vehicles halted.

State Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said two people were killed and five others injured in firing after a mob stormed a CRPF camp in Bishnupur during the unrest. Protesters also set vehicles ablaze and vandalised parts of the camp while demonstrating against the killing of the two children.