Imphal: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an accused in connection with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on a residential house in Manipur’s Bishnupur district, the central probe agency said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at Tronglaobi Awang Leikai in Moirang under Bishnupur District, on April 7 this year and resulted in the death of two minor children and injuries to another person. According to Manipur Police, a 5-year-old boy and his 6-month-old sister were killed, while their mother sustained serious injuries, when suspected Kuki militants hurled a powerful bomb at their home in Tronglaobi village in Bishnupur district on April 7 as the victims were asleep.
An official statement said that the case was originally registered at Moirang Police Station following an attack in which unknown militants launched an explosive device from a hillside towards Tronglaobi Awang Leikai. The explosion struck the residential wall of a house, causing serious injuries to three family members, including two minor children who later succumbed to their injuries. An unexploded improvised RPG (Rocket-Propelled Grenade) was also recovered near the site.
The investigation was subsequently taken over by the NIA, which re-registered a case on April 23 (2026) under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Explosive Substances Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the statement said.
During the investigation, the involvement of accused S. Palal Thadou has surfaced in the commission of the offence. Accused S. Palal Thadou was initially arrested by Churachandpur Police in connection with the FIR and subsequently by Bishnupur Police in connection with another FIR of PGCI Police Station.
NIA has arrested him as part of its efforts to unravel the larger conspiracy behind the terror act, making him the first accused to be arrested in the case.
The accused was produced before the Special NIA Court, Imphal, which remanded him to 10 days of police custody.
Further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend other persons involved in the conspiracy and to ascertain the larger network behind the attack.
The April 7 incident triggered widespread protests across the Imphal Valley, where the majority Meitei community resides. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh had earlier said that the case was handed over to the NIA for an in-depth investigation.
(IANS)
