Manipur:One held from Thoubal in murder case of BJP leader

Imphal: A man involved in the killing of a BJP leader in Manipur’s Thoubal district on Tuesday morning was arrested later in the evening, police said on Tuesday.

Thubal Superintendent of Police Haobijam Jogeshchandra said that Laishram Rameshwor Singh, convenor of the ex-military cell of the saffron party’s state unit, was killed near the gate of his residence in Kshetri area this morning.
Two men came in a car without registration number and fired at Singh at close range. Speaking to Media person over phone, Singh said that immediately after the incident, the police launched a search operation and arrested the person driving the vehicle, identified as Naorem Ricky Pointing Singh.

“There were two persons, including a driver, who came in a Mahindra XUV 300 and shot BJP leader Laishram Rameshwor Singh near his residence in Kshetri Lekai area and fled the scene,” the SP said. ‘
“The search for the top accused, identified as Ayekpam Keshorjit, is on and further investigation is underway,” Jogeshchandra said.

During initial interrogation, the arrested driver revealed that the duo had planned and executed the attack, Singh said. However, he added that the real motive behind the killing is yet to be ascertained.

An empty case of .32 caliber bullet was recovered from the crime scene.
On Tuesday, between 10:20 and 11:30 am, two assailants shot dead Laishram Rameshwor Singh, 50, the state BJP convener of the ex-military cell, near his residence in Thoubal district.
Singh was rushed to the Raj Medicity Hospital in Imphal with a bullet wound in the chest. He succumbed to his injuries around 1 am.

Singh, a retired army officer and RSS member, was appointed as the convener of the Manipur BJP ex-serviceman cell on 20 September 2020.