Officials said on Wednesday that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on June 21 that hurt three people, two of whom were children.
The anti-terror agency was involved in the blast, which happened in a state in the northeast where there have been ethnic clashes since May 3 that have killed 131 people so far.
Last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs asked the NIA to look into the blast because they were worried that it could have big security effects and that it could be used to stop security forces and the army from moving around the state to keep things safe.
On June 21, around 7:15 p.m., an IED went off in a Mahindra Scorpio car that was stopped on a bridge between the Bishnupur neighborhoods of Phougakchao Ikhai Awang Leikai and Kwakta on Tiddim road. People who know about the case say that eyewitnesses said the blast happened just minutes after the driver got out of the car after parking it.
On June 23, NIA took over the case. In its FIR, which was made public on Wednesday and later seen by HT, the agency said that “some unknown miscreants suspected to be militants” put the IED inside the Mahindra Scorpio.
A high-ranking officer who didn’t want to be named said, “We’re getting information about the insurgents who were behind the blast.”
“We have information that insurgent groups might be using the violence in Manipur to their advantage,” the officer said.
Three people were hurt in the explosion: Mohammad Albash, 15, Mohammad Alfas, 11, and Mohammad Yunus, 18. Part of the bridge was also damaged. People mentioned above said that the bridge goes between Bishnupur and Churachandpur, which is one of the most violent areas.
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