Manipur: Five arrested under UAPA released on bail, One taken to Delhi by NIA

The five armed miscreants arrested last week with sophisticated weapons while they were travelling in police camouflage uniforms were granted bail by a Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Imphal on Friday.

One of the accused, Moirangthem Anand Singh, was a trained cadre of a proscribed Meitei militant outfit and previously arrested six times in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2009. After joining the KCP (Noyon) Group in 2010, he was arrested again in 2010 for a case of extortion from government office and was detained under NSA.

All the accused were slapped under stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Official Secret Act. However, the police had failed to show any material that proved any of the accused had committed any terrorist acts.

In the order, the court said, "The I.O. of the case cannot show strong prima facie case against all the accused persons for the commission of terrorist acts and prejudicial activities against the State attracting section 16 UA(P) Act and section 121-A of the IPC as of now."

It added that the other charges under section 416,419,506,120B,170 IPC and 25(1B) of the Arms Act and 6(1)(a) of the Official Secrets Act are cumulatively punishable upto 7 years and hence it is inclined to grant bail to all the accused persons on their furnishing a PR bond of Rs. 50,000/- with one surety of like amount.

Soon after the bail was granted, M. Anand Singh was arrested again and lifted to Delhi on a special flight by a team of the NIA. Mr. Singh was arrested in connection with a general case registered to look into banned outfits in Manipur.

The accused persons- Moirangthem Anand Singh of Singjamei Sorokhaibam Leikai, Athokpam Kajit of Kongba Nongthombam Leikai, Loukrakpam Michael Mangangcha @ Tolomu of Khurai Ahongei, Konthoujam Romojit Meitei of Sagolband Sayan, and Keisham Johnson, of Singjamei Sorokhaibam Leikai- were arrested by the Manipur Police on September 16 near the Meitei Mayek School in Imphal while they were travelling to Uyumpok in one Bolero vehicle in police camouflage uniforms and carrying sophisticated weapons.

The police said from the arrested persons, they recovered one INSAS Rifle bearing No. 18531215 having four magazines with 78 live rounds, one SLR rifle bearing No. 58478 having three magazines with 50 live rounds and two .303 Rifles bearing No. D91642 and E90617 with one magazine each containing 5 live rounds in each magazine.

The arrest of the youths had evoked intense protest in Imphal valley until Thursday. Protestors, mostly members of Meira Paibis (womenfolks) and local clubs, had enforced a 48-hour bandh till midnight of Wednesday demanding the release of the persons. They attempted to storm police stations in different parts of the Imphal valley, resulting in complete chaos and several of them sustained injuries. They claimed that the five men were village volunteers who were guarding their villages from attacks by Kuki-Zo militants.

Interestingly, weeks ago, the Manipur High Court had denied bail to three accused from the Kuki-Zo community, including a 71-year-old ex-BJP MLA, T. Thangjalam Haokip, in a case related to the conflict, citing that there was prima facie evidence against them and that given the situation, the safety of the accused is paramount.