Manipur on Wednesday denied bail to activist Mark Thangmang Haokip, who has been arrested for his involvement in a separatist organisation which was formed allegedly to establish a so-called Kukiland.
The single bench of the Manipur High Court justice MV Muralidaran denied bail on prima facie, noting that he and his associates are working with a serious intention to breed hatred or contempt against other communities and amplify it as an instrument to mobilise people against the state.
The case before the HC is that Mark T Haokip was arrested on the allegation of his involvement in conspiracy for secession from the Union of India and the government of Manipur, and for forming a ‘government of People’s Democratic Republic of Kukiland (PDRK)’ by means of levying war, attempting to wage war and abetting to waging war against the lawfully established government, in defiance of the sovereign with an object to deliberate for an organised attack upon the government of India.
Mark T Haokip was booked under section 120- B/121/121-A/123/400 IPC and sections 17/18 of UA(P) Act. He has also been accused of being involved in spreading propaganda on social media platforms to create instability, communal hatred, animosity, inciting violence, false propaganda, etc., so as to achieve the organisational goal of the ‘Government of Kukiland’.
The HC taking into account the allegations levelled by the prosecution against Mark and relevant material adduced by it, the HC found prima facie to prove that Mark and his associates were working with a serious intention to bring into hatred or contempt against other communities and amplify it as an instrument to mobilise people against the state and that they are using social media platform as a medium of propaganda to achieve the goal to create instability, communal hatred, animosity, inciting violence, false propaganda to breed hatred and violence to achieve the organisational goal i.e. People’s Democratic Republic of Kukiland (PDRK) comprising different parts of India, Bangladesh and Burma.
It is also prima facie proven that the aforesaid group is nothing but a gang waging war against the Indian nation with the sole objection of secession from the Indian State to establish their so-called Kukiland, the HC stated.
The HC observed that the registration and pendency of the multiple FIRs clearly proves that the petitioner is a notorious person involved in many numbers of cases and therefore, releasing him in the present FIR, which was lodged levelling serious allegations against him, is not possible and also no valid ground has been made out for his release in the present FIR.
The registration of multiple FIRs against Mark is not the same set of facts and allegations, the HC stated.
The HC also opined that Mark’s act of collecting people and funds with a suspected plan to eventually procure arms and ammunition to achieve his ulterior motive that is Kukiland is prima evidence of his clear intention and purpose to wage war against the state in his goal to establish Kukiland.
In view of these factors and noting that multiple FIRs are pending against the accused, the HC refused to grant him bail and dismissed his plea.
