A 1st IRB Havildar who was on duty as a house guard at the residence of Manipur High Court Justice Aribam Guneshwar Sharma at Yaiskul Moibung Lokpa Leirak under the jurisdiction of Imphal Police Station, Imphal West district succumbed to a gunshot injury on Friday around 9 am.
The deceased has been identified as Longjam Nandakumar (52), son of retired inspector L Kumar of Haobam Marak Keisham Leikai.
According the family members of the deceased, Nandakumar served as an escort of former IGP Police Manipur Achin Haokip and was transferred as a house guard at Justice Guneshwar’s residence on May 1, 2024 after Achin Haokip retired from his post on April 30, 2024.
As per another house guard personnel at the justice’s residence, Nandakumar and him were wiping out water from the house after the heavy rain on Friday morning. Nandakumar went to take a bath as their duty timing was about to start, he added.
He said that not long after Nandakumar went upstairs a gunshot sound was heard and upon checking his room he was found dead from a gunshot in his bedroom. An MP5 rifle issued to Nandakumar was also found near his body.
Manipur Police ADGP L Kailun, IG(L/O) and SP Imphal West rushed to the spot on hearing the news. IO of the case said that investigations are underway to know the details of the incident as to whether it was suicide or accidental fire. Nandakumar is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
The crime scene was thoroughly examined by a team from the State Forensic Science Laboratory Unit, with an executive magistrate overseeing proceedings. A post-mortem examination was conducted at RIMS mortuary, with video documentation and an executive magistrate present as eyewitnesses.
