Lungnila's murder case : Lifer for 2
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 13 2023: Session Judge Imphal East W Tonen today sentenced murder convicts, N Rome Meitei and Letkhosei Haokip alias James Kuki to undergo rigorous life imprisonment for kidnapping and murdering Baby Lungnila Elizabeth, 20 years back in November 2003 .

The same court on February 28 had convicted Thokchom Nando (expired), N Rome Meitei, O Deben alias Arnold (expired) and Letkhosei Haokip alias James Kuki.

Ningombam Rome Meitei alias Romen alias Michael alias Ramesh alias Loyalakpa (55) s/o N Tomba of Bashikhong Mamang Leikai and Letkhosei Haokip alias James Kuki alias Letsei alias Selboi alias George alias James alias King (54) s/o Jampao Haokip of Matijang village, then staying at Langol Housing Complex were produced before the Court today for sentence hearing.

The Court heard Special PP of CBI Senior Advocate A Chandrajit Sharma, assisted by Tansen Chongtham and defence counsels in length.

The Special PP CBI submitted that the two convicts were convicted for criminal conspiracy and kidnapping of a minor girl aged about 8 years and subsequently murdering the victim.

The act committed by the convicts was a grievous and heinous crime as the victim was only 8 years old and thus the present case qualified as the rarest of rare, the Special PP remarked and prayed the Court for awarding capital punishment to the convicts.

"If the Court feels that the case does not fall within the ambits of the rarest of the rare, the two convicts be sentenced to life imprisonment, meaning entire life, not merely 14 years in jail", the Special PP prayed.

On the other hand, the defence counsel of N Rome stated that the convict was released on bail during the trial of the case and there was no record of commission of other offence while he was out on bail.

The defence counsel said that N Rome is a married person having children and prayed for awarding minimum punishment which the Court deemed fit.

The defence counsel of Letkhosei Haokip alias James Kuki also submitted an application for awarding minimum sentence by adjusting the period of the detention undergone by the convict on the ground that the convict is a married person having 4 sons.

The Court, on perusal of the case record and after hearing the submission of the Special PP CBI and the defence counsels, sentenced N Rome and Letkhoisei Haokip alias James Kuki to undergo life imprisonment, not merely 14 years in jail, under section 364 (kidnapping), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 302 of IPC (murder) .

Notably, two other persons including Thokchom Nando implicated in the same case died during the trial of the case.

During the trial of the case Okram Deben expired due to illness while Thokchom Nando who fled from JNIMS security ward in March 2019 was killed two years later by an underground outfit for committing the heinous crime.

Baby Lungnila Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Ngajokpa who was then a Minister of the State Government, was kidnapped by some unknown persons from the front of her school gate (Little flower school) on November 4, 2003 and her lifeless body was found in a sack in a highly decomposed state at Tera Sadokpam, Imphal West on November 12, 2003 although Lungnila's family paid a ransom of Rs 10 lakh for her safe release.

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