Militants hurl grenade at Speaker's private residence

Unidentified militants today hurled a grenade at the private residence of Manipur Assembly Speaker Th Lokeshore Singh at interior Sagolmang village in Imphal East district but the grenade failed to explode, official sources said.

The grenade which was hurled from outside the gate at around 9 AM, fell inside the gate but it failed to explode, the sources said.

Singh was not at his private residence as he stays at his official residence at Babupara area here but his other family members reported the matter to the police.

Bomb experts later defused it near Natum hill, sources said, adding no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Some unidentified militants also lobbed grenades at two places in Thoubal district -- one at the house of additional district magistrate Guni Singh and at the house of a petrol pump owner Y Joykumar this morning, sources said.

Both the grenades failed to explode, they said.

Police said they were investigating whether the three incidents were connected with extortion demands from the Speaker, petrol pump owner and additional district magistrate or not.