On June 6, a National Revolutionary Front Manipur (NRFM) militant was arrested for involvement in a series of IED blasts, including the June 5 IED attack at Little Flower School from Kangla Sangomshang area in Imphal East District of Manipur, reports Imphal Free Press. The arrested militant identified as Thounaojam Rishi Luwangcha was apprehended along with a jar marked as ‘Mahaan Instant Dairy Creamer’ during a cordon and search operation. One detonator fitted on a Cordtex wire of approximately 1 feet in length, 58 Plastic Explosive Kirkee (PEK) sticks weighing around 7.358 kg, 3 coils of Cordtex wire with approximately 51 feet in length, 397 detonators in boxes and 2 batteries were found inside the jar. Upon further search of his house, some mechanical tools used in assembling the explosive substances including one soldering iron rod; one bolt cutter (wire plier); one ratchet wire stripper; one cutter blade; 18 small iron rods and one electric insulating tape were recovered. One Huyndai i20 car black in colour bearing registration number MN05A-5899 and some particular clothes used in commission of the recent bomb blast were also recovered. The NRFM militant during interrogation revealed that he had started working for the militant outfit in September 2021 under the command of a self-styled ‘chairman’ Dhaballo who is presently staying in Bangladesh. Rishi further disclosed that he was behind the series of bomb blasts in Imphal - one shop at Nagamapal on May 5; at one house located at Khurai Thoidingjam Leikai on May 6 and the recent blast at Little flower school gate on June 5. The explosive substances were handed over to him by his commander through one unknown person in the month of January, 2022 and was paid INR 30,000 for each bomb blast.
Earlier, on June 5, an improvised explosive device (IED) took place at the gate of Little Flower School, Sangaiprou under Lamphel Police Station (PS) in Imphal West District of Manipur. Though no casualties were reported, but a portion of the gate was damaged by splinters. At the blast site, vehicle parts and remnants of a burnt twine used to bind the safety fuse was recovered.
Following this incident, students and faculties of the school conducted a protest demonstration in front of Little Flower School on June 6 and demanded a violence free education zone. The Catholic Educational Society Manipur (CESM) executives and Archbishop House Curia condemning the incident has decided to close all educational institutions run by the Catholic Mission in the state on June 7.