Manipur: Probe into twin blasts handed over to NIA

The investigation into the twin blasts in Manipur’s Bishnupur district has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), officials said on Tuesday.Two persons were injured in the consecutive explosions that rocked Ngaukon village in the Phougakchao police station area on Monday morning. The first blast, suspected to have been caused by an improvised explosive device (IED), occurred around 5.45 am at an abandoned house. The second explosion took place nearly 200 metres away around 8.45 am, when locals gathered at the site after receiving information about the earlier blast.
“The case has been forwarded to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further investigation,” the Manipur Police said in a statement.The police added that combing and search operations are being carried out in adjoining areas, and security has been strengthened to prevent any further escalation of violence. “Investigation and operational efforts are underway to identify and apprehend those responsible for the blasts,” the statement said.The house where the first explosion occurred has remained abandoned since ethnic violence erupted in the state in May 2023. The owner and his family are currently living in a relief camp, officials said.
The incident has further heightened tensions in the restive northeastern state, which has witnessed prolonged ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands displaced since the violence began in May 2023.Several organisations, including the Indigenous People Organisation and the All Manipur Students’ Union, have called for a 24-hour statewide shutdown starting midnight on Wednesday to protest the blasts. Meitei civil organisation Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) demanded an immediate, transparent and time-bound investigation into the incident.Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 2025, following the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh amid mounting criticism over his government’s handling of the ethnic unrest.