Imphal, Oct. 31: A non-Manipuri trader was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at Wangoo Laipham Chuthek, a semi-urban area in Thoubal district, today.

The victim, identified as 47-year-old Jai Shankar Prasad of Belia district in Uttar Pradesh, was a meat-seller at Sagang village, located 19km from the district headquarters of Thoubal and 4km from Wangoo Laipham Chuthek where his body was found.

Police said Prasad left his house around 6am to procure meat for his shop. An hour later, his bullet-riddled body was found at Wangoo Laipham Chuthek.

His body bore injuries on the head, chest and neck.

Sources said Prasad lived with a distant relative who identified him.

The post-mortem was conducted at Lilong Primary Health Centre.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the crime yet.

In another incident, unidentified persons exploded a bomb at a private hospital, Imphal Hospital, located along RIMS Road in Imphal West district around 11.30am today.

No one was injured in the incident but the blast damaged a scooter parked on the hospital premises.

The motive behind the attack is not immediately known.