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Imphal, Sept. 1: A leader of the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), now lodged in an Imphal jail, masterminded the grenade attack on the residence of president of the All-Manipur Working Journalists’ Union, A. Mubi.
“Thokchom Nando masterminded the attack through his contacts. Four persons, including Nando, were arrested with five cell phones, two hand grenades, a laptop and a scooter in connection with the grenade attack,” sub-divisional police officer Th. Vikramjit told reporters today.
He said two, including Nando, were remanded in judicial custody while two others, including the one who hurled the grenade at the journalist’s house in Imphal East on August 11, were in police custody.
Police arrested Nando from Sajiwa Jail on August 14 in connection with the attack. Two mobile phones were seized from his cell.
Nando was arrested in 2003 from Imphal city in connection with the abduction and killing of eight-year -old Lungnila Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Ngajokpa, then a minister and now minister in-charge of rural development, in November 2003.
Since then he has been lodged in Sajiwa Jail.
The police are investigating how mobile phones reached Nando’s cell. “We are working on it and we will get the result very soon,” Vikramjit, who is also the investigating officer of the journalist attack case, said.
The police officer said Nando used the name of Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup Military Defence Force (Lalhaba Tengol) to issue threats to journalists and carry out the attack on Mubi’s home. Through text messages Nondo made the claim of carrying out the attack on Mubi’s house immediately after the attack.
The attack was carried out for not publishing a statement issued to local media in the name of Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup Military Defence Force (Lalhaba Tengol), he said.
Vikramjit said at the behest of Nando, Lasishram Ibochaoba, 38, from Thoubal district sent the press release through an email to the media. Ibochaoba was arrested from his home at Khangabok in Thoubal district yesterday.
“We will arrest more persons. The case is almost solved,” the police officer said.
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