Manipur: Probe into twin blasts handed over to NIA

Imphal: The investigation into the twin blasts in Manipur's Bishnupur district was handed over to the NIA, officials said on Tuesday.

Two persons were injured in the consecutive explosions that rocked Ngaukon in the Phougakchao police station area on Monday morning, they said.

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 one occurred nearly 200 metres away around 8.45 am, when locals gathered after getting news of the earlier blast.

"The case has been forwarded to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further investigation," a statement issued by the state police said.

"Combing and search operations are being carried out in the 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," it said.

The incident further escalated tensions in the restive state, where over 260 people have been killed and thousands left homeless in the ethnic clashes that broke out in May 2023 The house, where the first explosion happened, has remained abandoned since ethnic violence broke out, with its owner and his family currently living at a relief camp.

Several organisations, including the Indigenous People Organisation and the All Manipur Students' Union, called for a 24-hour shutdown across the state, starting 12 am on Wednesday, to protest the blast.

Meitei civil organisation Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) demanded an immediate, transparent and time-bound investigation into the blasts.

Manipur has been under the President's Rule since February 2025, after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned amid criticisms of his administration's handling of the ethnic clashes between Kukis and Meiteis.