Manipur Explosion: Store Hit By Blast In Manipur's Thoubal, Shop Owner Alleges Past Threats, Probe On

Thoubal: An explosion outside a betel shop was reported at Wangjing Bazar in Manipur on Sunday night, triggering panic among local residents.

The blast occurred at around 10.39 pm near the Heirok crossing of Thoubal district, sources said. It targeted a shop owned by Ningthoujam Roben Singh (41), son of late N. Angang Singh, and a resident of Heirok Part III. The explosion led to panic in the busy market area. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported.

Speaking to Republic TV, the shop owner said that he had faced threats in the past. In August 2025, unidentified miscreants to allegedly opened fire at the same shop. He also said that he had received extortion demands worth Rs 5 lakh from unlawful groups last year. He further claimed that a group of individuals had warned him to shut his store altogether, while another had summoned him for a meeting a few months ago. However, he did not attend the meeting and said he is sure that he has not done anything. 

Following the blast, Police rushed to the spot promptly and cordoned off the area. A forensic team examined the spot to gather evidence. A case has been registered at the concerned police station, and police personnel have been deployed in and around Wangjing Bazar as a precautionary measure.

The explosive is being suspected to be a hand grenade which detonated in front of the shop. However, the exact sequence of events leading to the explosion or the people responsible for the incident have not been ascertained yet. Police have not yet confirmed whether this explosion was linked to the earlier threats. Further details are awaited as investigation remains underway. 

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