Manipur IED attack accused was ‘finance head’ of banned outfit, involved in 5 other firing cases: Police
The accused arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the April IED attack at Tronglaobi Awang Leikai in Manipur's Bishnupur district, which killed two children, was the alleged “finance head” of the proscribed United Kuki National Army (UKNA) and was involved in five other firing incidents, police said.
- Aug 13, 2026,
- Updated Aug 13, 2026, 10:43 AM IST
The accused arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the April IED attack at Tronglaobi Awang Leikai in Manipur's Bishnupur district, which killed two children, was the alleged “finance head” of the proscribed United Kuki National Army (UKNA) and was involved in five other firing incidents, police said.
The NIA on Wednesday arrested S Palal Thadou, its first arrest in the case related to the IED attack on a residential house in Moirang town on April 7. The blast killed two minors and injured another person.
According to Manipur Police, Thadou had earlier been arrested by the Churachandpur and Bishnupur police in connection with separate cases. During the investigation, he allegedly admitted to being the “finance head” of the banned UKNA.
Police said sustained investigation, human intelligence and interrogation, along with technical inputs from digital forensic experts, helped security forces uncover alleged plans and operations carried out by Thadou and other UKNA operatives.
Thadou was also allegedly involved in a bomb blast at Tronglaobi on December 16, 2025, police said. He was further linked to a firing incident at Molnom on the intervening night of February 3 and 4, 2026.
Police said he was also allegedly involved in a firing incident in the Kaprang area on July 4, ahead of Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh's visit to Churachandpur, as well as other firing incidents on July 4 and March 26 this year.
The NIA took over the investigation into the April 7 IED attack and re-registered the case on April 23 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The agency said Thadou's arrest was part of its efforts to uncover the larger conspiracy behind the attack and identify the wider network involved.
He was produced before the Special NIA Court in Imphal and remanded to 10 days of police custody.
Further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend other persons allegedly involved in the conspiracy and establish the larger network behind the attack, the NIA said.