Gauhati HC grants bail to Kuki Inpi spokesperson in NIA case on killing of Manipur commandos

The Gauhati High Court has granted bail to Thangminlen Mate, spokesperson of the Kuki Inpi in Manipur, in a case registered underneath the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The case pertains to the killing of two Manipur Police Commandos within the Moreh space of Tengnoupal district in January 2024, amidst the continued ethnic battle between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, a Bench of Justices Michael Zothankhuma and Anjan Moni Kalita famous that the NIA had registered two completely different FIRs over the identical incident during which each police personnel had been killed close to Moreh Bazar on January 17, 2024. Mr. Mate was arrested in each circumstances, with the arrest memo accusing him of “conspiring” and “planning” the assault, even whereas recording that the function of 1 Waikhom Rohit, a Meitei particular person, had been “established” within the incident.

Granting bail, the courtroom noticed that the NIA had not talked about Mr. Rohit’s function within the FIRs and remarked, “It is extremely unlikely that the petitioner, a Kuki, would plan the assault for or with Waikhom Rohit, a Meitei.” The courtroom ordered his launch on a bail bond of ₹2 lakh with one surety of the like quantity, topic to situations that he report back to the NIA when required, and never affect witnesses or tamper with proof.

The case stems from coordinated assaults with “bombs and firearms” reported at India Reserve Battalion posts in Moreh Town and Ima Kondong Lairembi on January 17. In the following alternate of fireside, Manipur Police Commandos W. Somorjit Meitei and Takhellambam Seileshor Singh had been killed close to Moreh Bazar. Separate FIRs had been registered for the 2 deaths.

The NIA first arrested Mr. Mate within the FIR regarding the killing of Mr. Meitei. While a particular NIA courtroom in Guwahati granted him bail on June 18, he was re-arrested on June 20 in reference to the second FIR. Bail was denied in that case by a particular NIA courtroom, prompting Mr. Mate’s attraction earlier than the High Court, which put aside the Special Court’s order.

The High Court famous {that a} “cautious perusal” of each FIRs confirmed the deaths had occurred in the identical alternate of fireside at Moreh Bazar round 5:30 p.m. “When the involvement of W. Rohit is claimed to be established within the killing of the 2 Manipur Police Commandos in Moreh on 17.01.2024, it isn’t understood as to how the petitioner, who’s of the rival neighborhood, might be mentioned to be concerned within the killing of any one of many above two police personnel,” the courtroom mentioned.

It additional added, “There isn’t any cheap floor for believing that the accusation made towards the petitioner [Mr. Mate] is prima facie true, as it isn’t the case of the NIA that the Kuki and Meitei components had collectively attacked the IRB publish or the Moreh Bazar on 17.01.2024.”