A day after suspected militants fired at the entourage of Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh at a helipad in Ukhrul, the State Government suspended 10 policemen even as the State Government has ordered a probe into the incident to find out those behind the firing at Chief Minister’s entourage.
Manipur’s Additional DGP (intelligence) P Douzel will probe the incident and will submit a report to the Government. He would find out the particular outfit involved in the firing and will fix responsibilities for the lapses on security during the Chief Minister’s visit. Suspected militants fired at the Chief Minister’s entourage soon after he came out of the chopper at the bakshi ground helipad in Ukhrul town. Although security forces retaliated immediately, one security force personnel received bullet injuries during the incident.
Ibobi Singh was supposed to inaugurate a hospital and two power substations at a two remote locations in Ukhrul district on Monday. The CM, who was accompanied by Home Minister Gaikhangam and three other Ministers and top civil administra-tion officials, had to return to Imphal without inaugurating the projects as locals opposed the visit of the Chief Minister.
The locals blocked the road in Ukhrul and protested violently and set on fire two vehicles of the police forcing the security forces to resort to blank firing to disperse the crowd. The Chief Minister later cancelled trhe programmes and returned to Imphal and held a cabinet meeting in Imphal.
Sources in the Manipur police said that the ten suspended cops include, six sub inspectors, responsible for security of the helipad, two assistant sub inspectors and two head constables. Although the Manipur police suspected the hands of NSCN (IM) cadres behind the firing the NSCN (IM) denied their involvement in the incident.