As violence continued in Manipur, unidentified miscreants attacked and set ablaze the official residence of minister Nemcha Kipgen in Lamphel, Imphal West, on Wednesday evening despite the presence of security personnel.
The incident took place around 6.30 pm, allegedly in the aftermath of the attack by suspected Kuki militants that occurred on Tuesday night in the Khamenlok area, resulting in the death of at least nine village volunteers and injuries to 10 others, according to sources.
As the minister and her family had vacated the residence at the onset of the unrest, there were no reported injuries during the fire. However, all belongings left behind were destroyed, except for a four-wheeler that was saved by the security personnel.
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The Manipur Fire Service personnel arrived in a timely manner and successfully extinguished the flames, preventing them from spreading to neighbouring structures.
According to the security commander stationed at the residence, nine security personnel were posted to guard the minister's residence. However, they were outnumbered and overpowered by the miscreants.
Recounting the incident to the media, he stated, "We didn't think there were a lot of people. Usually, people knock at the gate to inquire about directions to Shija Hospitals. We heard a knock, slightly opened the gate to find out who it was. That's when we realised there were a lot of people, and they simply barged in, pushing open the gate”.
The miscreants proceeded to hurl petrol bombs, resulting in the complete destruction of the minister's residence, he added.
Nemcha Kipgen, who is the MLA from Kangpokpi AC, is the only woman minister in the state cabinet. She was among the 10 Kuki MLAs who had urged the Central government to establish a separate administration for the Kuki community on May 12
Authorities are investigating the incident and additional security measures are being implemented to ensure the safety of public officials and maintain law and order in the region.
