Newmai News Network
Imphal: Amid the protests demanding the unconditional release of the five persons said to be volunteers of the “village defence force”, the court of the special judge (NIA), Imphal East district, on Friday ordered the release of the five persons on bail.
Even as the court ordered the release of the five persons on bail, one of the accused identified as Moirangthem Anand Singh (45) of Singjamei Sorokhaibam Leikai, Imphal has been re-arrested by the NIA.
As per the submission of the police, Anand was earlier arrested as a trained cadre of an insurgent group in different cases.
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The other four volunteers – Athokpam Kajit alias Kishorjit (39) of Kongba Nongthombam Leikai, Loukrakpam Micheal Mangangcha (30) of Khurai Ahongei, Konthoujam Romojit Meitei (28) of Sagolband Sayang Leikai and Keisham Johnson (35) of Singjamei Sorokhaibam Leikai – were released late this evening upon furnishing the PR bonds.
Earlier in the day, the police produced the five persons in the court of the special judge (NIA), Imphal East, at Uripok Cheirap court complex via video conferencing.
An enhanced security measure was taken up at the court complex where a large number of people, mostly women from different places, converged on hearing the news of producing them.
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Apart from a strong team of police, a large number of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and other central security forces were detailed in and around the court complex to prevent any untoward incident during the hearing of the case.
The women gathered in front of the court complex chanted various slogans demanding the unconditional release of the five persons even as top police officers tried to convince them.
The police also took up security measures at the residence of the judge at Keishamthong Longjam Leikai in Imphal West district.
No untoward incident was, however, reported during the hearing of the case.
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With the completion of the police custody remand period, the police produced the five persons in the court of the special judge (NIA) Imphal East at Uripok Cheirap court via video conferencing.
They were produced before the special judge with a prayer for remanding them into judicial custody till October 6, 2023.
At the same time, the five persons filed bail applications through their respective counsels to release them on bail by way of objecting to the remand prayer.
After hearing the arguments of counsels of both the government and accused persons, the court passed the order directing the police to release them on bail on their furnishing a PR bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of like amount.
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The court order directed the accused persons to cooperate with the investigation while making themselves available to the investigating authorities.
They shall not influence prosecution witnesses and also not leave the state of Manipur without prior permission of the court while directing them to appear before the investigating officer of the case every 15 days as well.
The release of the five persons on bail came after nearly a week of heightened tensions as agitations demanding unconditional release rocked the state from the next day of the arrest.
A team of police commandos attached to Imphal East district police arrested five persons from the Kongba area of Imphal East district with sophisticated weapons while they were moving in a bolero car donning camouflage uniforms.
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The police accused them of impersonating police commandos which the protesters denied while claiming that they were volunteers of the “village defence force” set up in the wake of attacks on Meitei villages in the fringe areas of the valley by armed miscreants from the hillside.
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