IMPHAL, Dec 20: A Chinese hand grenade was found at around 9 am at the residence of Family Welfare additional director (in-charge), Dr Potshangbam Shyamsunder, of Uripok Takhellembam Leikai today.
The hand grenade found lying under his private car was retrieved by an Imphal West bomb disposal squad who exploded it in an open area at Lamphelpat at around 12 am.
Meanwhile, staff of the Manipur Family Welfare department staged a sit in protest at the premises of their office against the placing of the grenade at the residence of the Additional Director in-charge.
The Director of Family Welfare department, Dr K Rajo Singh told media persons that the staff of the department including him rushed to the residence of their colleague after hearing about the news of a hand grenade being placed by unknown members of an underground outfit this morning.
A few days before, an underground outfit has demanded money giving several threats to the staffs of the department, he added.
Our department is small that functions under the sponsorship of the Central government for the welfare of women and children by implementing programs on family health, immunization and child health etc.
He also said that the staffs were suffering as their salaries were pending for the last three months and the underground outfit has piled on their miseries by issuing extortion threats making it difficult for them to attend office and perform their duties.
One of our staff, Arun Kumar, the DDO of the Family Welfare Department had received a similar threat but his wife urged the outfit to put a stop to the threats and help the department whose job was to work for the welfare of women and children, Director Dr K Rajo said.
According to the Additional director (In-charge), Potshangbam Shyamsunder, a person had come to his office identifying himself as a member of an underground outfit one month ago demanding a sum of Rs 50 lakhs.
Shyamsunder has appealed to those responsible for the bomb threat to stop such activities against the staff of the Family Welfare department as the department was already facing a lot of problems.