Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, AUGUST 12
The sound of a grenade blast echoed once again in Dimapur. The incident occurred in the busy commercial Marwari pati area at approximately 7.20 pm.
Eye witness accounts suggest the act to be carried out by two persons who passed by the targeted godown in a fast moving vehicle. Fortunately no lives were lost since the godown was empty at that moment. The low intensity explosion, however, caused slight damage to the tyre of a car parked nearby.
But the news which quickly spread kept people away from visiting the Jain Mandir for their evening prayers.
The Dimapur-I A/C MLA and the Parliamentary Secretary for IT & Communication, Tovihoto Ayemi, who was present at the spot, said the act is a “sheer case of intimidation” to the godown owner or its manager and workers.
But he also said the manager of Rhino Roadways Cooperation had denied any threat or demands from any group or individual upon him.
The manager chose not to speak to the media while the owner of the Roadways Cooperation, BL Sharma, based at Guwahati, could not be contacted for comments.
With no leads at the site to ascertain who the culprits are, the Parliamentary Secretary appealed to the public who had gathered to be vigilant.
“It’s very unfortunate that these kinds of incidents are occurring over and over again. The public should come out strongly to condemn the acts of miscreants who are trying to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the people,” he said.
DC Dimapur, N Husheli Sema, talking to the media on the sidelines, overruled the incident as anything related to the Independence Day celebration on August 15.
She, however, said the district administration and police department along with the paramilitary forces will intensify the security measures ahead of the Independence Day celebration.
The grenade blast on Monday is the second in less than a week in the same area, and clearly points to a turf war between warring undergroud factions.
In the previous incident on August 7, miscreants lobbed a grenade inside a jewellery shop injuring two persons. One of them, Subash Somar, succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.
A press release issued by the GPRN/NSCN in connection with the incident last week , claimed the miscreants to be Lt. Kughahoto, Lt. Kughayito and Sgt. Maj. Lithrongse of the NSCN (K).
The press release also stated that Sgt. Maj Lithrongse was killed in an exchange of fire between the two factions in Kohima on August 9.
