Imphal: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a man in connection with the April 7 improvised explosive device (IED) attack on a house at Tronglaobi Awang Leikai in Manipur’s Bishnupur district that killed two minor children and injured their mother, the agency said late Wednesday.The case was initially registered at Moirang police station after unidentified militants launched an explosive device from a hillside at Gelmol towards Tronglaobi Awang Leikai. The device struck the wall of a house, injuring three members of a family. The two children later died. An unexploded improvised rocket-propelled grenade was also recovered near the site.The NIA took over the investigation and re-registered the case on April 23 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Explosive Substances Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.The NIA said the involvement of the accused, identified as S Palal, emerged during the investigation. He was initially arrested by Churachandpur police and later by Bishnupur police.The NIA arrested Palal as part of its efforts to unravel the larger conspiracy behind the terror act, making him the first accused to be arrested by the agency in the case.The accused was produced before the special NIA court in Imphal. It has remanded him in police custody for 10 days.Manipur Police has said Palal, the self-styled finance head of the proscribed United Kuki National Army (UKNA), was first apprehended on July 23 during a joint counter-insurgency operation by Manipur Police along with Assam Rifles, Indian Army and CRPF.The accused was found involved in multiple cases and is a main accused in the Tronglaobi IED attack, police said.
