Our Correspondent
IMPHAL, February 18
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]round 5 persons including three police personnel and two women were injured in a bomb explosion that took place at Masjid road betel nut leaves vendors junction in Imphal this afternoon according to information available here.
The incident took place when few policemen of the Imphal West district (Reserve Line) on duty reportedly tried to open an abandoned school bag containing the bomb at Masjid road junction around 4.10pm, sources said. The injured persons have been evacuated to Rims hospital casualty at Lamphelpat for treatment, report added.The concerned police station officials could not be contacted for details. However sources from the RIMS hospital said that the condition of one of the injured police constable identified as S Dineshwar, a resident of Eroishemba is stated to be serious. According to an eyewitness , constable Dineshwar sustained serious injury as he tried to throw the abandoned school bag which was found lying near the stair of Masjid road betel nut leaves vendors junction during the rush hour of the day in view of the Sivratri festival,towards Nambul river.But unfortunately it explodes. It is yet to ascertain how the school bag which contains the bomb believed to be improvised explosive device was abandoned at the said explosion site.No armed group has claimed responsibility for the incident till the report goes to the press. On hearing the news, many top level officers of the district police rushed to the RIMS hospital to oversee the situation.The other injured police persons who are undergoing treatment at RIMS when the report goes to the press include Assistant sub-inspector Y Sunil son of Salung of Nambol Ishok, Md Tazuddin son of Md Ali of Mayang Imphal Heibong Makhong.The injured women who are identified as K Pakpi (50) wife of Dwijamani of Khurai Puthiba and K Homeshwori (45) wife of Ashok of Kwakeithel Thokchom Leikai Imphal, were later discharged from the hospital.
Meanwhile state chief minister O Ibobi Singh visited the injured persons at the hospital and assured that necessary help will be extended to the injured policemen. Condemning the incident in the strongest term, Ibobi said, such acts will not bring any solution.Stating that there is no report security lapse as every individuals coming to market coming to market cannot be frisked or checked, he also assured that the CCTV cameras installed in the state capital will be made operational soon.However he did not promise any tentative time frame.
