Karnataka CRPF jawan killing case: 5 held in Manipur

Manipur police have arrested five persons for their alleged involvement in the October 20 grenade blast in Imphal, in which a Central Reserve Police Force (jawan, hailing from Karnataka had died and another was injured).

Police claimed the five, during preliminary interrogation, confessed that they had carried out the attack on the CPRF vehicle under the instruction of Umakanta, a 'commander' of United National Liberation Front (UNLF), a militant group.

A grenade attack on October 20 evening had killed Umesh Mahaningappa Helavar, a CRPF jawan hailing from Ambedkar Nagar Layout in Karnataka's Gokak and injured his colleague.

The killing of the security man had invited sharp criticism to the BJP-led state government with chief minister N Biren Singh assuring on Saturday that those involved would be nabbed soon. Singh had also promised justice to the deceased family.

The five have been identified as K Sana Singh, Sahabuddin Chesaba, Oinam Premjit, his wife Pinky Devi and Yumlembam Milan. Police also recovered two pistols and several rounds of ammunition from them.

Police said Sana Singh had hurled a grenade under the instruction of a UNLF commander.

Oinam Premjit and Sahabuddin are president and organising secretary of National Identity Protection Council, a civil society organisation in Manipur. The organisation, while rejecting police claim about their involvement in the crime alleged that their leaders were arrested on false charges.