Manipur Police Fire Tear Gas at Keirao Killing Protesters

Imphal: Manipur Police fired tear gas shells and mock bombs Sunday at Irilbung Bazar. They aimed to disperse a mob demanding arrests for the July 20 murder of Ngangkham Thambou. Thambou died after intruders shot him at his home in Keirao Wangkhem Mamang Leikai. His wife, Ngangkham Keinatombi, suffered critical stab wounds during the attack. The crowd tried to march on the Irilbung Police Station.

The Joint Action Committee organized a 72-hour bandh to protest the slow investigation. Residents blocked the Imphal-Yairipok road with obstacles. This choked off traffic and halted daily life. The bandh lasts until midnight on July 27. While authorities arrested one suspect, the committee remains unsatisfied. They claim police efforts lack movement. Regarding the investigation, the committee noted, "there had been no significant progress in apprehending the remaining accused."

Meira Paibis staged sit-ins across Wangkhem. They want justice. Meanwhile, Thambou’s body sits unclaimed at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Imphal East. The committee promised to let media, medical staff, and utility workers pass. Religious rituals stay exempt from the shutdown.