Wife of former MLA killed in ‘explosion’

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 11 : Sapam Charubala, wife of former Saikul MLA Yamthong Haokip died in an accidental explosion at their home in Kangpokpi yesterday.
No other casualties were reported.
It is reported that Charubala was burning waste material at her residence at Ekou Mulam under Saikul Police Station in Kangpokpi yesterday at around 3 pm when the incident took place.
According to credible sources, Charubala sustained injuries on different body parts including face and she was taken to the community health centre at Saikul in a serious condition as she was bleeding excessively.
The sources said that there is a suspicion of an explosive being planted in the residential compund.
After the incident, a team of Saikul police rushed to the spot and carried out an inquest.
Yamthong Haokip, the ex MLA, has lodged a complaint with the police to carry out an investigation and enquire what type of explosive material hit his wife.
Wari Singbul, on the other hand, reported that Charubala, along with her two daughters and husband, was cleaning the campus of their new home at Ekou Mulam when the 'bomb' suddenly exploded, leaving her critically injured.
Despite the ongoing conflict that restricts movement between Meitei and Kuki areas, members from both communities came together to rush Charubala to Saikul Primary Health Center. As her condition worsened, she was transferred to Shija Hospital in Imphal, with assistance from neutral parties. However, the 59-year-old succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, leaving behind both communities in mourning.
The motive behind the bomb blast remains unclear, though police investigations are ongoing. Ex-MLA Haokip has urged the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice, acknowledging that there were existing land disputes that could have been a factor.
The police have completed Charubala’s postmortem, allowing the family to proceed with her last rites. In her death, Charubala inadvertently bridged the divide between the warring Meitei and Kuki, if only for a moment, reminding all of the shared humanity that persists even in the darkest times, said Wari Singbul.