Manipur arms-looting case: CBI files chargesheet against five people
Jan 17, 2024
New Delhi [India], January 17 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet against five people on Wednesday in a case of looting of arms and ammunition from Manipur Police personnel in May 2023, the official said.
The persons who have been named in the case have been identified as Moirangthem Anand Singh, Athokpam Kajit, Loukrakpam Michael Mangangcha alias Michael, Konthoujam Romojit Meitei alias Romojit and Keisham Johnson alias Jhonson.
According to the CBI, the chargesheet was filed before the court of chief judicial magistrate, Kamrup (Metro) in Assam's Guwahati.
The agency had taken over the case from the Manipur Police (Heingang police station in Imphal East) on June 9 last year.
The case pertains to a mob storming into the Manipur Police Training College's (MPTC) Pangei complex on May 4, 2023 and allegedly looting a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the armoury during an ethnic conflict in the northeastern state.
In November 2023, NIA had opposed the bail plea of Moirangthem Anand Singh and said that he has an association with a proscribed organisation and was arrested with sophisticated arms and ammunition along with his associates in an area affected by the ongoing strife.
If the accused is released on bail, it will cause hardship to the ongoing investigation, and considering the history of the accused, there is a high probability that he shall again indulge in the same activities, which will exacerbate the present security situation in the state of Manipur, submitted the NIA.
The accused was in communication with several of his associates during this period of ethnic unrest in the State of Manipur, and considering the present situation, there is a very high probability that he will abscond and/or indulge in detrimental activities to influence other suspects, witnesses, etc. by various means, including tampering with the evidence if he is not kept in judicial custody during the period of investigation, submitted the NIA.
According to the NIA, the accused was brought to New Delhi after his arrest and produced before the Delhi Court on September 23, 2023. After his custodial remand to the NIA, the court later sent him into judicial custody.
