Newspaper office attacked in Manipur

Imphal, Aug 7 (ANI): Armed miscreants attacked office of a local daily, Paojel, during curfew hours in Imphal.

The incident took place in the evening when four of the newspaper staff were working inside the office.

Since the incident took place, the journalists suspected the involvement of police behind the attack.

"(We) journalists suspect the police commandos... We are fully supporting peace and national integration, why the security forces suspect the journalists?" said Imo Singh, a journalist. A group of journalists also called on state Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh to ensure safety of the media persons and organisations.

"We are facing lot of pressure from many angles. So, we requested the chief minister to look into the security of newspaper offices," said Loya, another journalist.

The police on its part, promised an in depth investigation behind the incident.

"Whatever we are got as of now, at this hour, and we feel that it could be of any type, but it does not look like fire arms or something, but we are not ruling out anything. We will investigate, we will properly see that how it happened," said L. Kailun, Senior Superintendent of Police, Imphal (West).

The protests were sparked off by the killing of a pregnant woman and a suspected militant in a shootout near the state legislature building in Imphal. Five were injured in the shootout.

The protesters in the state are demanding stringent action against the police commandos who were involved in the shootout. (ANI)