Granade attack on newspaper office in Imphal; scribes cease publication

IMPHAL: A suspected rebel hurled a hand grenade into the office of a leading Manipuri newspaper, Poknapham, at Keishampat Thiyam Leikai in Manipur’s Imphal West district last evening.

The explosive with its safety pin intact, however, did not explode. Bomb experts of Manipur Police removed the explosive.

Close circuit TV footage showed the grenade was hurled by a woman riding a moped around 6.30 pm.

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According to editor of Poknapham Aribam Robindro Sharma, the publication has not received any threat or intimidation from anyone.

Manipur police has already launched a combing operation to apprehend the culprit. No one has been picked up though.

Security has been beefed up around all the media houses in the capital city.

The All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) and Editor’s Guild Manipur (EGM) have condemned the attack and decided to cease news broadcasting and publication.