Imphal: Panic spread in Yairipok Yambem Makha Leikai in Manipur’s Imphal East district after a Chinese-made hand grenade and a threat letter purportedly issued by the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) were found outside the residence of a local businessman.
According to police, the explosive was discovered early Sunday morning at the residence of Sharungbam Bimol, proprietor of M/S H Rameshwar Sharma Saw Mill, also known as Victoria Veneer Mill.
The grenade was reportedly concealed inside a polythene bag along with a letterhead bearing the name of the KCP’s Department of Finance. The letter allegedly contained a warning directed at Bimol. Local residents suspect that the device may have been placed outside the house late on Saturday night.
Following the discovery, a team from the Manipur Police bomb disposal squad reached the location and secured the area. The grenade was subsequently removed and destroyed in a controlled explosion near the foothills of Ngariyan at around 10 am on Sunday.
No casualties were reported in the incident.
The discovery triggered protests in the locality, with Meira Paibis and other residents staging a sit-in at Yairipok Yambem Makha Leikai. Protesters called for an end to threats and intimidation against civilians and appealed to armed groups to resolve disputes through dialogue rather than violence.
Speaking during the protest, local resident Prema Devi said the presence of a live explosive in a densely populated residential area could have caused serious casualties had it detonated.
She appealed to the groups involved to pursue peaceful negotiations and resolve any disputes through dialogue, stressing the need to prevent residential areas from becoming sites of conflict.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the placement of the grenade and the threat letter.