Bomb blast in Imphal,Ahead of Prime Minister visit

Bomb blast in Imphal,Ahead of Prime Minister visit

Two days ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's Imphal visit, rebels
triggered a bomb explosion at the historic palace compound in the heart of the capital on Wednesday
killing a rickshaw puller and injuring two women bystanders.

The bomb went off outside the main gate of the Hapta Kangjeibung exhibition ground where the Sangai
tourism festival was on. The fair, organised by the Manipur government, is heavily attended by citizens
of Thailand, Malaysia and other southeast Asian countries.

"We suspect the person who died is the one who carried the bomb concealed in a sack to plant at the
festival venue," a police official said requesting not to be named.

The PM will land here in a special BSF flight at 10.30 am of December 3 and will inaugurate some major
projects of the city convention centre, state bus terminus, assembly complex and the Imphal bench
Gauhati high court building, under construction as part of the capitol project in Imphal.

Thousands of people gather at the ground during the 'Sangai festival'. Foreigners, mainly from
south-east Asian countries, participate in large numbers and stalls sell foreign items.