Manipur violence: CRPF firing death toll rises to three amid protests
Manipur violence: CRPF firing death toll rises to three amid protests
Protests in Manipur escalate as a rocket strike kills two children and a protester dies in hospital, raising the CRPF firing toll to three; internet cut and NIA probe planned.
A 31-year-old man, Wanghengbam Bobby, died in Imphal on Wednesday, a day after he was injured when security forces opened fire during protests over the killings in Tronglaobi, Bishnupur. The death toll from Tuesday’s CRPF firing rose to three with his passing. Bobby, from Bishnupur district, had sustained a gunshot wound to the torso and was receiving treatment at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal.
Earlier, a suspected rocket strike killed a five-year-old boy and his six-month-old sister in Tronglaobi, Bishnupur, prompting days of unrest across Manipur. Protesters stormed a Central Reserve Police Force camp, vandalised vehicles, and clashed with security forces, who fired to control the mob.
State home minister Govindas Konthoujam said Tuesday that two people were killed and at least 31 injured as security forces acted to quell the protests. In response to the violence, authorities suspended internet and mobile data services in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur to curb further unrest. Chief minister N Biren Singh condemned the Tronglaobi attack and assured that the government would hand the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
On the security front, a BJP spokesperson said three United Kuki National Army (UKNA) members were arrested with an AK-47 rifle and a pistol during a crackdown operation connected with the Tronglaobi incident. UKNA, however, denied involvement in the attack, reiterating that its objective remains a political solution within the framework of dialogue.
