The betel leaves seized from a brick field located at Papal under Khongjom police station Thoubal district were disposed of on Sunday morning at Thoubal Khunou dumping site following an order from CJM Thoubal.
The brick field is owned by a former candidate of Wangkhem assembly constituency. It may be mentioned that the leaves were seized by locals along with Thoubal police on the morning of May 19.
The disposed item includes 157 numbers of bamboo baskets containing each of 15 ‘phai’ (bundles), each bundles containing 300 betel leaves and 20 ‘phai’ (bundles) of betel leaves, each bundle containing 300 betel leaves.
All the six accused persons arrested in connection with this case were also present as witnesses while disposing the leaves.
The investigating officer (IO) of the case, sub inspector Jiban Naorem stated that the disposal was carried out following an order from CJM Thoubal.
On May 19, Thoubal police received information that one Kangabam Shantidas, 40, son of K Dijamani of Charangpat Mayai Leikai, Thoubal district and his associates transported a large quantity of betel leaves from Imphal by using one Tata truck-2515 bearing registration no. UP20AT-2678. The betel leaves were deposited at KJS Brick Field located at Papal Mamang Leikai, owned by one Kangabam Jadu alias Jadumani, 50, son of K Dijamani of Charangpat Mayai Leikai, who is the elder brother of K Shantidas .
Then, a case FIR 21(05)2020 u/s 188/269/270/34 IPC has been registered by Khongjom police station and search operation was conducted.157 baskets of betel leaves were found from the spot. As a follow up action, police arrested six persons on that day itself.
They have been identified as Kangabam Shantidas, 40, son of K Dijamani, Charangpat Mayai Leikai; his elder brother Kangabam alis Jadu Jadumani; Sanjoy Choudhury,43, son of Arjun Choudhury of Thangal Bazaar Khuyathong Road, Imphal West; Birendra Saha, 39, son of late Khellawan Motihar from Bihar at present Uripok near Cheirap court; Kulvinder Singh 43, son of late Chain Singh of Tirak Karma, Anandpur, Punjab and Adnan Khan, 21, son of Jahid Khan of Chandpur Bijanor, Uttar Pradesh.
In a further follow up action, two baskets of betel leaves were also seized from the house of K Shantidas. The Tata truck and one white colour Toyota Fortuner car without registration number and vehicle documents were also seized from the spot.
