The Session Judge, Imphal West, granted anticipatory bail to an accused, who is in judicial custody, for another case.
The accused, identified as Huidrom Romthin, volunteer of Youth of Manipur, was arrested on October 9, 2024 in connection with FIR registered at Imphal PS for Live Streaming YOM rally organised against the arrest of Malem Thongam, on October 5 on Facebook.
The other FIR is registered at City PS in connection with protest at Ema Keithel that tried to proceed towards Raj Bhavan, Imphal with a slogan to give power of Unified command to the state Government of Manipur by violating the curfew order promulgated by the District Magistrate Imphal West, on September 10.
“Accused is also implicated in another FIR being FIR No. 484 of 2024 PRT PS. in addition to the present FIR case at City PS”, submitted a counsel of the accused while praying anticipatory bail from the arrest of City PS FIR.
Counsel submitted before the court that the accused has been falsely implicated that there is no prima facie material against the accused and that the arrest of the accused including seizures in the earlier two FIRs are arbitrary and violative of the fundamental rights of the accused.
The court, after perusal submission from counsel and also bail objection report, opined that out of the sections of law under which the accused has been charged, only Section 109 and 132 are non-bailable offences.
Moreover, materials on records do not disclose ingredients of Section 109 of the BNS which prescribed punishment for an attempt to commit murder, the court stated. There is mention of some members of the alleged unlawful assembly carrying petrol bombs, etc but this cannot amount to attempted murder or conspiracy to commit murder, the court added.
The court said ‘however, the offence of section 132 of the BNSS carries a maximum punishment term of 2 years, implying that the offence is not serious in nature. There is nothing to indicate the accused holds influential positions in the YOM apart from being its member. The need for his custodial interrogation is not clearly spelt out”.
Therefore, the court has granted him an anticipatory bail in the event of being arrested by personnel of City PS in connection with the present FIR, on his execution of a PR bond of Rs 1,00,000 with one surety of the like amount.
It should be mentioned that on October 18, Tomthin Huidrom has bailed out from an FIR case registered at Porompat PS in connection with alleged of offence against the state/union government causing criminal conspiracy in short, waging war against the government of India.
