Miscreants opened fire at the residence of the working president of Manipur People’s Party (MPP), one of the oldest regional political parties in northeast India, reports said on January 15.
Unidentified men who came on two motorcycles opened fire with two rounds of bullets at the residence of advocate Ningombam Ojit Singh (62) at Bishikhong under Irilbung police station of Imphal East district on January 14 night.
No casualty was reported in the firing.
Irilbung police station has registered a case regarding the firing incident after a spot enquiry on January 15 morning. The police recovered an empty case of 9 mm ammunition from the house, an official source said.
Besides being the working president of MPP, Ojit is one of the three candidates in the fray for the election to the post of president of the trouble ridden regional party.
The election is scheduled to be held on January 28.
As told by the family members to the police, before firing the gun, the miscreants asked for Ojit. When the family members informed that he was not at home, the miscreants insisted Ojit withdraws his nomination paper of the candidate for the post of MPP president.
They further threaten dire consequences if Ojit goes against their dictate. The family members further informed that there was an instance of miscreants asking for Ojit on the evening of January 12 last.
The police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the gun attack at the residence of the working president of MPP.
Meanwhile, the working president of MPP demanded clarification on the reasons behind threatening him and his family members with guns if any of the underground groups was behind it.
Talking to the media at the MPP office in Imphal on January 15 afternoon, the working president of MPP said that the decision to conduct the election for the post of president was taken by a general body meeting of the party.
He said that including him, three candidates are in the fray and he is the only candidate who received the threat. He suspected the hands of some party members opposing him to be party president behind the gun attack.
Meanwhile, womenfolk of Bashikhong area staged a sit-in-protest on January 15 registering a strong denouncement against the gun attack at the house of Ojit.
