CBI takes over Rojer murder case
Bail hearing of alleged accuses begins, final hearing on May 11
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal/New Delhi, May 09 2011:
The Centre has ordered a CBI inquiry into the murder of a 20-year-old Irom Rojer Singh allegedly by the son of a state IFCD minister, N Biren during this year's Yaoshang festival even as a hearing for securing bails for the arrested accuses conducted today.
A notification by the Department of Personnel, under which the CBI comes, said that the case relating to murder of Rojer registered at Singjamei police station be transferred to CBI.
The state government had earlier urged the Centre to hand over the probe to CBI.
The CBI took over the case at the initiative of Home Minister P Chidambaram who was urged last week by Rojer's parents for a CBI inquiry into the matter.
The Home Minister, who Rojer's parents had met on April 28, is due to visit Manipur tomorrow.
N Ajay Meitei (27), the son of Irrigation & Flood Control and Sports Minister N Biren, had allegedly shot Rojer fatally using his licensed pistol at Ghari area near Imphal airport.
Ajay along with his four friends have already arrested and are behind bars till date.
A Cabinet meeting of the SPF government held on March 28 last had already approved the proposal of the state Home Department to handover the cases to the CBI along with the case raised by the mother of N Kunjabihari, chairman of the Board of Secondary Education Manipur, who was shot dead by miscreants on January 11 of this year.
However, CBI is yet to take over the second case.
Meanwhile, Imphal CJM court today conducted a hearing for releasing on bail of Rojer's alleged killer and his four friends, Th Anilkumar of Thangmeiband Meisnam Leikai, B Rosnikumar of Brahmapur Thangapat Mapal, Puyam Sidhartha (26) of Singjamei Mayengbam Leikai and Soram Raj Singh of Nagamapal Soram Leirak.
The hearing was conducted in the court of Imphal West CJM S Imomacha.
After hearing arguments of counsels of both petitioner and the defendents, the CJM postponed the hearing till date May 11.While postponing the hearing, the court announced that the arguments will continue on the day before pronouncing the court order.
It is pertinent to mention that the court had, earlier, rejected to release them on bail based on the Investigating Officer's contention that the families of the accused persons, particularly because accused N Ajay Meetei, are "very influential" and as such evidence may be tampered if they are released on bail.
And they are likely to threaten the witnesses once they are released on bail.