Imphal: Manipur Police on Sunday fired tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse protesters at Irilbung Bazar who were demanding the immediate arrest of those involved in the killing of Ngangkham Thambou and the critical injury of his wife.
The protest was organised as part of a 72-hour bandh called by a Joint Action Committee (JAC) over Thambou’s killing. The demonstration disrupted traffic on the Imphal-Yairipok road and affected normal life in the area.
Security personnel resorted to tear gas and mock bombs after protesters attempted to march towards Irilbung Police Station on Sunday afternoon.
On the third day of the bandh, local residents blocked roads with obstacles, restricting vehicular movement along the Imphal-Yairipok road.
Thambou was shot dead by intruders at his residence in Keirao Wangkhem Mamang Leikai in the early hours of July 20. His wife, Ngangkham Keinatombi, sustained critical stab injuries in the attack.
Police have reportedly arrested one suspect, but the JAC alleged there had been no significant progress in apprehending the remaining accused. Citing the slow pace of the investigation, the committee called the 72-hour bandh, which is scheduled to continue until midnight on July 27.
Meanwhile, Meira Paibis staged sit-in protests in different parts of Wangkhem, demanding justice for the victims.
Thambou’s body remains unclaimed at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) Hospital in Imphal East.
The JAC exempted media personnel, medical services, electricity and water supply, and traditional religious rituals from the bandh.