The single bench of the High Court of Manipur justice MV Muralidaran on Thursday set aside the bail order passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandel on December 17, 2020 for releasing of four persons alleged of threatening the life of chief minister, and other individuals, including church members through pamphlets on November 30, 2020.
The High Court directed officer in-charge of Chandel police station and the investigation officer to re-arrest the four accused namely LH Wolring, 68, son of LH Khungvol, resident of Lambung Village, Chandel District; Langhu Manahring Anal alias David, about 47-year-old, son of (L) L Ango of Charongching Village Chakpikarong sub-division; Kothingwar, about 27-year-old, son of (L) Rt Dalhring, resident of Tamphi Village, Chakpikarong; SP Kolome Anal, about 50-year-old, son of (L) SP Labin of Khumbung Khullen Village, Chakpikarong.
The Police had arrested two accused persons Langhu and Kothingwar on December 12, 2020. From their revelation, Lh Wolring and SP Kolome Anal were also arrested on December 15, 2020. A case was registered in Chandel Police Station under FIR No 25(11)2020 CDL-PS u/s 153A/504/505/506/500/120(B)/34 IPC & 4 Expl. Subs. Act.
They were remanded into police custody by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandel on December 15, 2020 evening. But the CJM, Chandel giving only one working day to police, released them on bail on December 17, 2020. Therefore, the state government represented by the chief secretary (home) and investigating officer of the case filed a criminal petition by challenging the bail order of the CJM, Chandel.
The petition mentioned that the accused persons have spread hatred amongst the various communities living in Chandel district and they have loudly propagated that government officials and also different communities living in the district will be “bombed” and there are serious attempts and threats by the accused that violent terrorist activities will be carried out by using illegal weapons which are believed to be in their possession.
Therefore, the accused persons are required to be investigated for the sake of national and state security as the offence relates to the terrorist activities in the district bordering Myanmar which is a terrorist hot-bed in the region, the petition stated.
The High Court order stated that the CJM, Chandel’s order for granting bail, that too within one day from the remand of their custody, and without getting the objection from the prosecution also without filing any proper bail application by the accused was completely wrong. The Chief Judicial Magistrate has exceeded his limits without following natural justice, the order mentioned.
The High Court permitted the state government and the investigating officer of the case to move before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandel for police custody and for further proceedings.
