Aizawl, March 15: The front door of the revenue and land settlement building was damaged and its windowpanes shattered by an explosion last night.

A witness said that minutes before the blast, a person shouted from inside a speeding Maruti Gypsy that a bomb was about to explode and that the occupants should run for cover. The incident occurred at 10 pm.

Police said gelatine sticks, planted on the floor of the entrance of the office building, caused the blast. Nearly all the windows of the four-storey building as well as those of the electricity office were broken. The office of a local vernacular paper, below the directorate office, was also damaged in the blast.

The police have questioned the chowkidar of the office but that did not yield any clues.

Last month, the same building was damaged by Youth Congress activists, who were protesting against high land taxes imposed by the government. Youth Congress president and legislator, Zodintluanga, when asked whether the Congress had anything to do with the explosion, said he did not have a clue and that he was dining with police officials at the time of the blast.

?We certainly are not involved,? he said. ?It could be those disgruntled people who could not obtain their land settlement certificates because they are unable to pay such high taxes,? he said.

Gunfire exchange

Insurgents opened fire at a BSF camp at Ithai, about 40 km from Imphal, at 9 pm last night, official sources said today. The rebels used bombs and sophisticated weapons. The security personnel retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted for an hour, sources said. The casualty figure was not available, official sources said, reports PTI.