Manipur: NIA files charge sheet against two accused in 2023 bomb blast

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against two accused, including the main conspirator, in last year’s car bomb blast case in Manipur’s Bishnupur district in which three people were injured, an agency statement said on Saturday, 13 April.

The NIA filed the charge sheet against Md Noor Hussain and Seiminlun Gangte before a special NIA court in Bishnupur on Friday, 12 April.

The blast in June 2023 also damaged several public and private properties, including a bridge, an electric pole, and houses at Kwatka in the Bishnupur district.

The explosion, triggered by a bomb-fitted Mahindra Scorpio SUV, took place on 21 June last year.

The NIA probe into the case led to the arrest of Hussain on 16 October last year, following which it was revealed that he drove the SUV and parked it on the targeted bridge at Kwakta, while his co-passenger detonated the improvised explosive device (IED).

Gangte, who was arrested on 2 November last year, has been identified as the key conspirator in the case.

According to the NIA, Gangte along with other accomplices had conspired to blow the bridge with the intent of creating terror in the area and to cut off the movement of the security forces.