Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Imphal book fair winds up The Imphal Book Fair jointly organised by the State Central Library and Kolkata-based Raja Ram Mohun Roy Foundation wound up on Monday at Hapta Kangjeibung. The book fair started on December 16. This year’s Best Reader Award constituted by State Central Library went to Dr L Mangal Khuman of Nepra Menjor Mamang, Khwairakpam Leikai, Imphal. The Best Book Production award for the year went to “Khambi Meigi Mashasing,” a book translated into Manipuri by Dr Soibam Ibocha, a senior police officer while the Best Stall decoration was bagged by M/S Mittal Publications, New Delhi. The Best Disciplined Stall prize was bagged buy M/S Priya Books, New Delhi. The three award winners were also presented with Rs 500 each. KLA condemns detention of civilians The KLA has strongly condemned the act of the KNF (P) in detaining innocent civilians near Sapermeina on NH-39 following a gun fight at Nongpok Keithelmanbi with the PLA on December 23. Such action might create communal mi...

UG held after shootout Troops of 7 Assam Rifles of 57 Mountain Division reportedly apprehended an underground activist after a brief shootout in Thanga at around 7.45 pm on Saturday. The cadre was identified as SS Sgt Maj Ningthoujam Samananda Singh of RPF (32) s/o N Budhi Singh of Nongmaikhong Mayai Leikai, a PIB Defence Wing statement said on Sunday. Commandos gun down two suspected militants Imphal East District Police Commandos reportedly killed two suspected underground activists during an encounter at Kongpal Laingam Loukol, four kilometer east of Porompat Police Station at around 5.10 pm on Sunday. The Commandos have also claimed to have recovered one 9 mm pistol loaded with five live rounds of ammunition and one point 32 pistol loaded with one live bullet from the possession of the slain activists whose identities are yet to be established. Full Story: Accused AI absolves UPF Retracting from his earlier statement purportedly given to ONK, AI Oinam Ibopishak of Zone-VI Educatio...

HC orders police probe into Umathel excesses: Imphal, Dec 17: Imphal Bench of Guwahati High Court on Monday directed the state Director General of Police to enquire into the facts and circumstances leading to the injuries inflicted upon the civilians of Umathel and its adjoining areas in the aftermath of encounter between cadres of proscribed PREPAK and a column of Assam Rifles on September 30 this year. It may be mentioned, as many as 52 men suffered injuries when they were beaten up by the Assam Rifles personnel in the aftermath of the September 30 encounter and many of them were forced to leave their homes for fear of further excesses by the security forces. The enquiry to find out the facts and circumstance is to be made by a nominee not below the rank of an inspector general of police and 21st Assam Rifles should cooperate with the inquiry, the directive of the division bench of the Gauhati High Court said. The division bench comprised of Justice T Nandakumar Singh and Justice K M...

Seven killed in bus bomb blast: Imphal, Dec 16 : At least seven passengers, including three women, were killed when a bomb planted in the middle of the road exploded and ripped through the bus (407 Mini Canter) in which they were travelling on Sunday at about 5.10 pm at a spot in between Pourabi and Huidrom on the Imphal-Pukhao road under Lamlai police station in Imphal East. While three of them were killed on the spot, another three succumbed to their injuries at RIMS while another died at JN hospital, Porompat. All the dead bodies as well as injured were nothing less than masses of flesh with their limbs blown away. Many more are still in critical custody in the hospitals and the number of death may increase. So powerful was the blast that it flung the bus about 25 feet away from the explosion spot. The bus was a mangled remains of metal, when this reporter reached the spot. Most of the passenger seats were found ripped away by the impact of the blast while the two rear tyres were pu...