Imphal, Jan. 12: A militant group today triggered a grenade explosion outside a popular hotel in Imphal city, not far from Raj Bhavan, after the owner allegedly defied the outfit’s “orders” to close down.

The grenade landed under a scooter parked in front of the reception of Hotel Bheigo and exploded around 5.15pm, shattering a few windowpanes and damaging the compound wall.

Hours later, around 8pm, police found an unexploded Chinese grenade on the courtyard of the Imphal East residence of an executive engineer of irrigation and flood control department, N. Wangkhei.

Though no one was hurt in the hotel explosion, today’s incidents are likely to hurt the security apparatus, which has been keeping a tight vigil on the Manipur capital after a spate of similar audacious attacks, including the ones on Raj Bhavan and the bungalow of chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh.

Later in the night, the Imphal West commander-cum-fundraiser of the militant Kangleipak Communist Party called up media houses and claimed responsibility of the explosion at the hotel.

He said the hotel was targeted as it continued to remain open even after the outfit asked it to close down. He, however, did not elaborate beyond that.

The owner of the hotel, 65-year-old Moirangthem Thoiba, reported to the superintendent of police of Imphal West, L. Kailun, that a few days back, a caller who identified himself as a cadre of the KCP had made a monetary demand.

The hotel, located along the outer ring road of Imphal city and the road linking National Highway 150 (Imphal-Aizawl Road) and National Highway 53 (Imphal-Silchar road), is popular among businessmen.

Had the grenade exploded outside the hotel’s compound, it could have caused immense damage since the roads were teeming with evening traffic.

The three employees manning the reception when the grenade went off could not stop speaking about the “disaster” that could have occurred had the grenade landed a few feet away — in the hotel lobby.

“I heard a loud bang and I thought that a bomb had exploded under my feet. If the grenade had landed in the reception room all the three of us would have died,” a terrified employee said. The reception counter is about 20 feet from the site of the blast.

“I miraculously escaped as the explosion took place just five minutes after I had stepped out of the hotel for a walk,” one of the five guests at the hotel said. He, however, declined to give his name.

The attack coincided with the Ibobi Singh cabinet today deciding to request the Union home ministry for 250 additional posts of Special Police Officers for deployment in the valley districts of Manipur.