Imphal: Suspected militants threatened a corporator of the Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) by planting a powerful IED at Ward Development Committee on Thursday morning.

Bomb experts of Manipur police, however, disposed IED at the same place where it was planted after it could not be defused even after three hours of struggling.

The bomb was found planted in front of the office of the Ward Development Committee of IMC ward no. 16 at Singjamei Chingamakha Maisnam Leikai under Singjamei police station of Imphal West district today morning.The planting of the IED came to light only after a suspected militant informed the corporator Thokchom Eliza via Whatsapp.

Soon after the Whatsapp message was received the corporator informed the police who rushed to the spot immediately and searched for the IED.

Unable to locate the IED, the police called out personnel of the police bomb detection and disposal squad after the area was cordoned off.

They found the bomb being planted underneath bags of sands piled up in front of the Ward Development Committee office.

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The experts tried their best to defuse the IED fitted with a timer.

Not able to defuse even after around three hours of struggling, the IED was disposed of at the same place where it was planted.

Even though, the police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the planting of the bomb there, the corporator (Thokchom Eliza) claimed that a monetary demand by a militant group to the IMC corporators was behind the bomb threat.

Though she did not disclose the identity of the militant group, she said that a militant group has been pressing the 27 IMC corporators to pay Rs 10 lakh each.

MAHUD minister Yumnam Khemchand, who is also the local MLA and top officials of the state police rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, denouncing the planting of bomb at a thickly populated area, womenfolk of the locality staged a sit-in-protest.

While strongly condemning the bomb threat, the protesters demanded a clarification if any of the underground group operating in the state was behind the planting of the bomb.

NNN