IMPHAL, APRIL 17 — Five individuals sustained injuries on Thursday night following a standoff between security units and a large group of protesters near the private residence of Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh. The clash followed a peaceful torch rally organized to demand accountability for the recent deaths of two minors in the Bishnupur district.
The demonstrators were stopped at the Singjamei crossing after marching through Imphal West. Security forces declared that the use of non-lethal deterrents, including mock bombs and tear gas, was necessary to manage the crowd after protesters began using stones and slingshots to target the police line. Similar demonstrations were reported in the Imphal East district as the community mourned the victims of the April 7 explosion.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, who took office in February 2026, has characterized the recent violence as an attempt to destabilize the state’s efforts toward peace. Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam affirmed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is now handling the case involving the minor victims. He noted that law enforcement has already secured the arrests of five individuals suspected of involvement in the blast.
The state government has maintained strict security protocols, including an overnight curfew, across several valley districts where tensions remain high. Officials stated that the ethnic violence, which initially broke out between the Meitei and Kuki communities nearly three years ago, continues to impact law and order. Since the start of the conflict, the state has seen the displacement of tens of thousands, with security forces now focused on de-escalating sporadic outbreaks of violence in the Imphal valley.
