Manipur police personnel behind Imphal bomb attack

Imphal (Manipur), Sep 6 (ANI): In an astonishing revelation, the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) was involved in a bomb attack at a private hospital in Imphal, leaving Manipuris flabbergasted.

It is reported that militants gave Rs 5000 to an IRB rifleman to set off a grenade at the Chamber of Commerce Hospital at Thangal Bazaar in Imphal that left three persons injured.

The rifleman was identified as T. Munal, and has been apprehended by the police.

“There will be a strict control room exclusively for the commandos, so that the control room will have details about their duties and there will be a general diary which will give record of what all activities they are doing. With this sort of things and a little more check, I think with that we should be able to weed out those black sheep,” said Y. Joykumar Singh, The Director General of Police (DGP) of Manipur.

T. Munal was posted at the Battalion headquarters at Khuman Lampak in Imphal and was allegedly involved in several other attacks carried out in the state.

Munal has disclosed that a cadre of KCP (MC) militant outfit had given him the hand grenade.

The incident has shocked the people in the state. They condemned the act.

“Security forces protect us but if they do such things, the people of Manipur will be no more. We condemn the act,” said Zathlingthang, a local.

“They are here to protect the people and a rifleman committing such crime is condemnable act. The people of the state are suffering because of such crimes,” added Khomi, another local.

Meanwhile, reacting to the involvement of state police personnel in the incident, Union Home Secretary G.K Pillai, who was on a visit to assess the overall law and order situation in the state, urged the state government to bring transparency in the recruitment of constables.

“If constables come into the police force on merit, you will get a much better, more efficient police force. Complain has come that some of the people who have been recruited did not undergo adequate screening of some of them. Screening would be done by the Manipur police to remove all the undesirable elements from the state police forces,” Pillai said. (ANI)

ABB inks frame agreement with BMW Group

ABB, a leader in power and automation technologies, has signed a frame agreement with BMW Group to support the carmaker’s operations in Germany, the U.K. and the U.S.

Under the arrangement, ABB will supply 2,100 industrial robots over five years, beginning 2010 and commission a variety of robot models for BMW, including the IRB 6640, 6620, 7600 and the new mid range robot IRB 4600; a compact, light-weight industrial robot with the longest vertical reach in its class.

The robots will be applied in parts handling, gluing and spot welding on car-body assembly lines for BMW’s 1-series, 3-series, X5-series and Mini models.

ABB claim that its industrial robots are reliable, strong, accurate and easy to maintain. Till date, the company has installed more than 160,000 robots worldwide.

The scrip of ABB closed on Monday at Rs 495, up 8% compared to previous close of Rs 459.

Singapore likely venue in Japanese proposal for Rugby World Cup

Singapore – Japan is to bid for hosting the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups with a proposal to play the matches in 10 Japanese cities as well as Singapore and Hong Kong, according to a report in the Straits Times Saturday. If Japan wins the bid, Singapore would host five matches, the report said.

Japan is to formally submit the proposal to the International Rugby Board (IRB) on May 13 which is expected to announce its decision on July 28, 2009.

England, South Africa, Italy, Australia, Wales, Scotland and Ireland were also expected to bid for the 20-team event. (dpa)