Pandora's Box opens, Cong MLA's son nabbed
Union Defence Minister AK Antony seeks report on PRO (DW)'s arrest
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN / Agencies

Imphal/New Delhi, February 26 2013: Even as Union Defence Minister A K Antony has sought a detailed report on the arrest of PRO (Defence Wing) Colonel Ajay Chowdhry, who along with five others was intercepted with a huge drug consignment by Police Commandos at Pallel on Sunday, a son of a senior Congress MLA has been arrested by the police and recovered huge quantity of drugs from the private residence of the MLA.

Based on the information provided by Colonel Ajay Chowdhry and his five cohorts, who are in police remand, during interrogation yesterday, a police team swooped down to the MLA's house late last night and arrested senior Congress MLA TN Haokip's son identified as Saikholen Haokip (35) and recovered 4 huge cartons of drugs containing 2316 strips of Pseudoephedrine tablets around 10 pm on Monday from the MLA's private house located at Fifth Avenue, Deulahlane here.

Police said that the seized psychotropic Pseudoephedrine drugs included Ketamine hydrochloride injection I.P and Extamine 500 mg.

Three FIRs (FIR numbers are 25, 26, 27) have been registered against the MLA's son under Section 21/29 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.Section 21/29 of NDPS Act relates to punishment for financing illicit traffic of drugs and harbouring offenders as well as abetment and criminal conspiracy among others.

Arrested Saikholen Haokip was produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate of Thoubal district today and remanded him to police custody till March 8 .

All the seven arrested accused drug smugglers including Col.Ajay Chowdhry would be produced on March 8 at 1 pm before the Special Court of NDB-Lamphel here.

TN Haokip is a senior Congress MLA elected from Saikot Assembly Constituency of Churachandpur district.

He had been a Cabinet Minister in his past tenures.

It is worth noting that Army colonel Ajay Chowdhry and five others were arrested on Sunday morning at Pallel while they were transporting a huge consignment of the banned drugs to Moreh from Imphal for smuggling into Myanmar.

The estimated cost of the seizure is said to be anywhere between Rs 15 crore and Rs 24 crore in the international market.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister A K Antony has sought a detailed report on the arrest of PRO (Defence Wing) Colonel Ajay Chowdhry, who along with five others was intercepted with a huge drug consignment by State Police Commandos on Sunday.

The Defence Ministry on Monday also wrote to the Army military secretary Lt-General S A Hasnain, who is in charge of all postings in the 1.13-million strong force, that the ''continuance'' of Col Chowdhry in his present post as the Defence PRO (public relations officer) in Imphal was now untenable.

Col Ajay Chowdhry, a 49-year-old Bihar Regiment officer, was posted as the Imphal PRO, a post which comes under the Ministry lf Defense's Directorate of Public Relations, in January 2011.Even before that he was serving in the same area as the GSO-1 (General Staff Officer-1) for information systems with the 57 Mountain Division.

After holding that "the strictest possible action" will be taken against Col Ajay Chowdhry, the Army now seems to be veering around to the view that it should not seek custody of the officer, under Section 125 of the Army Act, and let "the law take its course in the civilian court.

It's a civil offence not connected to the performance of his duties," said an officer.

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