Meitei elderly man killed, six injured in 'rocket attack' in Manipur's first CM's house

Guwahati: An aged Meitei man was killed in a suspected rocket attack at the house of Manipur's first Chief Minister, M. Korieng Singh, at Moirang in Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district on Friday afternoon, police said.

Six others were also injured in the attack. In a statement at 11.30pm, police said Kuki militants were behind the attack.

Kuki Inpi, Manipur, an apex body of the Kukis, however, rejected the allegation about involvement in the attack.

Police sources said the shrapnel from the bomb hit the 78-year-old RK Rabei on his head while he was performing some rituals at the late Koireng's house. The person died on the spot. A photo shared on social media showed the victim clad in white dhoti lying near the prayer items such as leaves and fruits, with blood oozing out his head.

The place is a few kilometers from the historic Indian National Army (INA) Museum at Moirang. The town has an INA headquarters too, where Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had also visited.

Local people suspected that Kuki insurgents based out in neighbouring Churachandpur district used rockets to attack the Meiteis.

Another similar bomb attack was carried out in the morning in Bishnupur in which a house was partially damaged. No one was injured in the morning attack.

The incident took place amid a human chain protest organised by the Coordination Committee on Manipur Unity (COCOMI), a forum of Meitei civil society organisations, in Meitei-dominated valley districts. The Imphal Valley remained by and large shut on Friday as Meitei organisations staged protests demanding action against the Kuki insurgents, who were allegedly involved in two bomb attacks using drones in Imphal West, another Meitei-dominated district, recently.

Two Meiteis including a woman were killed and 10 others were injured in two attacks on Sunday and Monday in Imphal West district. Police had said Kuki insurgents used drones to carry out bomb attacks. But Kuki civil society organisations rejected the charge about use of drones.

Sources said following the twin bomb attacks, firing along the "buffer zone" that separates the Meitei-dominated valley from the Kuki-dominated districts, was reported on Friday evening. Police said following the attack, three bunkers of Kuki insurgents were destroyed in Churachandpur. A military chopper was also used for aerial patrol.

Kukis reject charge:

Reacting to the allegations about involvement of Kukis in the attack, Kuki Inpi Manipur, an apex body of the Kukis, on Friday evening issued a statement in which it claimed that the purported attack on the Meiteis was an attempt to attack the Kukis by Valley-based insurgent groups, which misfired and fell into Metei area. The organisation also rejected reports about Kuki groups possessing sophisticated missiles.

Meanwhile, the Manipur government decided to keep all educational institutions shut on Saturday in view of the "general curfew" announced by COCOMI. The state cabinet chaired by CM N. Biren Singh met on Friday evening in Imphal and took stock of the situation as hundreds took to the streets and staged protests for not taking action against the Kukis.