Pourabi Blast Aftermath
Suspects held, DGP ridicules RPF claim:
Imphal, Dec 18: The state police chief while informing that the police rounded up three bomb blast suspects, categorically denied the allegation against the security forces by the RPF in connection with the blast that claimed the lives of eight passengers and wounded more than 20 others, some critically.
Talking to journalists on Tuesday morning before leaving for New Delhi, state DGP Y Joykumar informed that the police had rounded up three of the suspects involved in the planting of the IED on Monday evening. They are in police custody for further investigations, he added.
The suspects were picked up from the localities near the spot where the blast took place, he said.
The DGP also strongly denounced the RPF statement charging the security forces of triggering the blast deliberately to cause civilian casualties even though the cadres of the outfit planted the IED. He said the allegation was "nothing but to draw the sympathy of the people and cover up their fault."
The banned Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) has acknowledged responsibility for planting the bomb that exploded. However, it blamed ‘enemy forces’ for actually triggering the blast.
The rebel group, in a statement issued on Monday to the press extended its deep apologies to the public and the families of the dead and injured.
While categorically reacting to the allegations of the RPF that location of the bomb was known well ahead of the blast to the security forces after they nabbed cadres of its army wing, PLA, the DGP said it was baseless as none of the cadres of the outfit were nabbed from the area by any unit of the security forces.
"We have contacted all security units operating in the area and confirmed that no PLA cadres were rounded up," the DGP said.
With regard to the RPF claim of planting the IED two days back before the blast, Joykumar said security forces conducted ROP on the route on which the blast took place on December 14 and 15 using IED detectors.
"If the IED was planted there, the security force would have detected it," he said. The security forces who carried out ROP with bomb detectors along Sawombung-Pukhao road would certainly have discovered the bomb at Pourabi if it was planted earlier.
While terming the blast an act of terrorism he also said it was an unfortunate incident.
Joykumar who further talked on the security scenario in the Imphal area said that the existing manpower of the security forces in the state could not satisfactorily give security to the life and properties of the people.
"As a matter of fact the state government has already urged the Union home ministry for increasing the security forces along with the proportionate infrastructures," the police chief said.
He also appealed to the masses to cooperate with the security forces and police considering the difficulties faced by the security forces in dealing with the increasing violence in the state.
He urged the people to report any unusual activities in their village or locality to the police control room through telephone number 2451100, 2450214 which are 24-hour services to prevent any tragedies.
He also mentioned that the state police department taking serious note of the frequent bomb blasts in the market places of Imphal city was adopting new strategies on deployment of security forces in the Imphal area.
The trial for these security deployments would be performed soon in the Imphal area, he added.
As per the new strategy, the entire Imphal area would be divided into three-layer zones, core zones (Imphal city), inner zone (Imphal municipal area) and periphery zone (entire Imphal area) and all movement of people would be monitored.
He also said that for the smooth functioning of Loktak Project and for preventing disturbances by the various underground groups security protection of the project would be handed over to the CISF soon.
The DGP along with the chief secretary Jarnail Singh on Tuesday left Imphal for New Delhi to attend the chief ministers’ conference which is scheduled on Wednesday in New Delhi. The chief secretary and the DGP will brief the gathering on the existing law and order situation and developmental activities in the state.
Source: The Imphal Free Press
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Imphal, Dec 18: The state police chief while informing that the police rounded up three bomb blast suspects, categorically denied the allegation against the security forces by the RPF in connection with the blast that claimed the lives of eight passengers and wounded more than 20 others, some critically.
Talking to journalists on Tuesday morning before leaving for New Delhi, state DGP Y Joykumar informed that the police had rounded up three of the suspects involved in the planting of the IED on Monday evening. They are in police custody for further investigations, he added.
The suspects were picked up from the localities near the spot where the blast took place, he said.
The DGP also strongly denounced the RPF statement charging the security forces of triggering the blast deliberately to cause civilian casualties even though the cadres of the outfit planted the IED. He said the allegation was "nothing but to draw the sympathy of the people and cover up their fault."
The banned Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) has acknowledged responsibility for planting the bomb that exploded. However, it blamed ‘enemy forces’ for actually triggering the blast.
The rebel group, in a statement issued on Monday to the press extended its deep apologies to the public and the families of the dead and injured.
While categorically reacting to the allegations of the RPF that location of the bomb was known well ahead of the blast to the security forces after they nabbed cadres of its army wing, PLA, the DGP said it was baseless as none of the cadres of the outfit were nabbed from the area by any unit of the security forces.
"We have contacted all security units operating in the area and confirmed that no PLA cadres were rounded up," the DGP said.
With regard to the RPF claim of planting the IED two days back before the blast, Joykumar said security forces conducted ROP on the route on which the blast took place on December 14 and 15 using IED detectors.
"If the IED was planted there, the security force would have detected it," he said. The security forces who carried out ROP with bomb detectors along Sawombung-Pukhao road would certainly have discovered the bomb at Pourabi if it was planted earlier.
While terming the blast an act of terrorism he also said it was an unfortunate incident.
Joykumar who further talked on the security scenario in the Imphal area said that the existing manpower of the security forces in the state could not satisfactorily give security to the life and properties of the people.
"As a matter of fact the state government has already urged the Union home ministry for increasing the security forces along with the proportionate infrastructures," the police chief said.
He also appealed to the masses to cooperate with the security forces and police considering the difficulties faced by the security forces in dealing with the increasing violence in the state.
He urged the people to report any unusual activities in their village or locality to the police control room through telephone number 2451100, 2450214 which are 24-hour services to prevent any tragedies.
He also mentioned that the state police department taking serious note of the frequent bomb blasts in the market places of Imphal city was adopting new strategies on deployment of security forces in the Imphal area.
The trial for these security deployments would be performed soon in the Imphal area, he added.
As per the new strategy, the entire Imphal area would be divided into three-layer zones, core zones (Imphal city), inner zone (Imphal municipal area) and periphery zone (entire Imphal area) and all movement of people would be monitored.
He also said that for the smooth functioning of Loktak Project and for preventing disturbances by the various underground groups security protection of the project would be handed over to the CISF soon.
The DGP along with the chief secretary Jarnail Singh on Tuesday left Imphal for New Delhi to attend the chief ministers’ conference which is scheduled on Wednesday in New Delhi. The chief secretary and the DGP will brief the gathering on the existing law and order situation and developmental activities in the state.
Source: The Imphal Free Press
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