Chief minister Ibobi Singh places a wreath on the cop’s coffin. (PTI)

Imphal, Jan. 1: The tension-filled atmosphere in Manipur for most of 2005 spilled over into the New Year with mob violence rocking Churachandpur district after the death of the inspector-general of police in charge of intelligence and another policeman in a militant ambush yesterday.

The jittery administration clamped prohibitory orders within a five-km radius of the district headquarters when mobs started damaging trucks and blocked roads in a show of anger over the killing of T. Thangthuam.

Militants of the People’s Liberation Army, one of the few militant groups in the region that have yet to show any inclination to sit for talks with Delhi, ambushed the IGP’s convoy when he was returning to Imphal after a visit to his native district. Thangthuam and the commander of his escort team, havildar Kharsiam, were killed on the spot.

Four other security personnel were seriously wounded. The IGP’s son and daughter-in-law, who were in the same vehicle, escaped unscathed.

The PLA, which is the military wing of the Revolutionary People’s Front, accepted responsibility for the ambush at Oinam Bazaar ? in Bishenpur district ? later in the day.

The bodies of the slain policemen were cremated in their native villages in the district today. All shops and business establishments in Churachandpur remained closed for the second consecutive day to protest the killings.

Mobs were on the rampage last night, targeting buses and motorcyclists. Three persons injured in the melee at one place were admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal.

Another round of arson was barely averted after a cortege with the IGP’s body reached the district headquarters this afternoon. Army and paramilitary forces were deployed to keep the situation from spinning out of control.

Sources said four police commando teams from Imphal were rushed to Churachandpur and a police officer of the rank of deputy inspector-general was posted there specifically to oversee the security arrangements.