Powerful blast rocks former assembly candidate's home in Imphal

Imphal, Jan 27 (ANI): An unknown person triggered a powerful blast at the residence of former Manipur assembly candidate, Dr. Chandramani Singh in Imphal, a day ahead of polls to the state legislature.

The blast took place around 10.50 a.m today, in one of the toilets at the residence of Singh, a retired State Health Service Director, who contested assembly elections in 2007.

Speaking to the mediapersons, Singh said an unknown man who was accompanied by a rickshaw driver executed the blast.

"I was told that around 11 O'clock, a bomb was found planted inside one of the toilets which are attached to my house. I was told that one rickshaw driver escorted a person and who entered the toilet and locked himself from inside and after few minutes everybody heard a loud sound," said Singh.

According to police sources, the person who got injured in the blast, is also the prime suspect as the explosion took place when he was in the process of planting the bomb in the toilet.

The injured person has been admitted in a nearby hospital for treatment after which the police will question him.

"I received the information from my control room that a bomb blast has happened at the residence of Dr. Chandramani Singh so I immediately rushed to the spot and found the bomb planted in the toilet. One suspect has been found and he is would be interrogated once his treatment is complete, and the object used in this incident is suspected to be RDX," said S Shantikumar, Inspector, Imphal Police Station.

A case has also been registered against the suspect.

Earlier, on January 6, a grenade was lobbed at the Congress Party's election office in which no one was injured.

Polls to the 60-member Manipur legislature would be conducted on Saturday. (ANI)