Manipur: NIA arrests second accused in connection with Tronglaobi IED blast

A 48-year-old person was arrested by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) for his involvement in the Tronglaobi Awang Leikai, Bishnupur district bomb blast attack which left two minors dead.

Unknown armed assailants carried out the attack on April 7 this year at a residential house in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai, Bishnupur district, Manipur. A five-year-old boy and his six-month-old sister died while their mother sustained splinter injuries.

The NIA in its statement stated that Thangmang Haokip, aged about 48 years, of Churachandpur, Manipur is the “second accused to be arrested in the case, after S. Palal Thadou Kuki, arrested on August 12, 2026, who is presently in judicial custody.”

The statement stated that a case (RC-04/2026/NIA/IMP) was initially registered at Moirang Police Station after unknown militants launched an explosive device from a hillside at Tronglaobi Awang Leikai, striking the wall of a residential house and causing serious injuries to three family members, two of whom, both minor children, later succumbed. An unexploded improvised RPG was also recovered near the site. NIA re-registered the case on 23 April 2026 under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Explosive Substances Act and the UA (P) Act, and the involvement of Thangmang Haokip subsequently surfaced during the investigation.

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Further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend other persons involved in the conspiracy and to ascertain the larger network behind the attack.

NIA had claimed that the first arrest S Palal Thadou is alleged to be the self-styled finance head of a banned outfit. However, NIA’s statement released on Tuesday did not mention Thangmang Haokip is related to any militant outfit or not.

Manipur has been under crisis since May 3, 2023 and the crisis has claimed over 306 lives and 49 are still missing according to a government report till August 31.