Imphal : Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh visited a relief camp in Imphal East district on Saturday, April 11, where he met the family of a seven-year-old internally displaced girl who was raped and murdered.

The Chief Minister interacted with the family members and other displaced persons staying at the camp. He conveyed his condolences and assured that the government would extend all possible support to ensure justice for the victim.

An ex gratia assistance of Rs 10 lakh has also been announced for the family.

Through a Facebook post after the visit, he said the welfare of internally displaced persons remains a priority for the government. After hearing their grievances directly, he instructed officials to take immediate steps to address their concerns and focus on reducing hardship, as well as speeding up rehabilitation and resettlement measures.

According to him, the administration is committed to restoring dignity, stability, and normalcy in the lives of affected families. The victim, a girl from Moreh, went missing on April 4 and was later found dead the following day beneath the Singjamei Bridge in Imphal West. The incident has deepened concerns over the safety of displaced people living in relief camps.

Imphal East District Commissioner L. Nivedita stated that authorities are taking all necessary steps to ensure justice for the victim’s family. She confirmed that the accused has already been taken into custody.  At the camp interaction, displaced residents raised demands for an early return to their native villages and also sought deployment of an IRB battalion in Moreh to strengthen security.

 He assured that steps would be taken to support their return and called for renewed trust among communities to restore peace and stability. The probe into the fatal bomb blast in Tronglaobi village of Manipur’s Bishnupur district is still in progress, while security forces continue search operations in the area, State Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said on Saturday, April 11.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 176th death anniversary event of Maharaja Nara Singh at Kangla Fort, the minister said that officials are following multiple leads, but he did not disclose further information as the inquiry is still active.

When asked about the incident, Konthoujam said that security deployment has been stepped up in the affected region after the explosion, and efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend those involved.

On demands to replace central paramilitary forces with state police in border and sensitive locations, the Home Minister said the government is working on a gradual plan for redeployment. He added that some central forces may be shifted to hill areas, while state forces would take over certain positions, though immediate replacement is not possible due to limited manpower.

The blast took place in the early hours of April 7 at a home in Tronglaobi, where two children lost their lives while they were asleep, and their mother sustained injuries. The incident, especially due to the presence of a nearby CRPF camp, has led to strong public anger.

In the aftermath, protests broke out in the area, with locals condemning the attack and demanding the withdrawal of central forces from the locality. Many locals have demanded an increased presence of state police forces, expressing worries about safety in the area and issues related to accountability.

Security operations are still underway in the area, while the investigation is continuing without any conclusion so far.