UNLF activist's bail plea SC rejects NIA's plea for cancellation
Source: The Sangai Express / (Agencies)

New Delhi, November 05 2011: Referring to its earlier ruling that "mere membership of banned organisation is not a punishable offence", the Supreme Court on Friday rejected a plea by National Investigation Agency (NIA) to cancel the bail granted to M Londhoni Devi, wife of a top commander of the banned Manipuri outfit United National Liberation Front (UNLF).

A bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and S S Nijjar was unimpressed by additional solicitor general Harin Raval's argument that UNLF was running a parallel government in Manipur with its widespread extortion ring and that Londhoni Devi was an important cog in the illegal activities of the banned outfit.

When he alleged that she had received huge amounts from UNLF, the bench examined the documents and found that she had received only Rs 15,000 and inferred that it could be towards her upkeep.

"She is married to a person who might be involved in the alleged illegal activities of UNLF.

The husband would surely give money for the upkeep of the wife, but the question is whether she used it for anti-national activities," the bench said.

"Why should we interfere with the High Court order granting bail.

She may be the wife of an alleged commander of a banned outfit, but that is no ground for cancellation of bail," it added.

Raval decided to give a complete picture of UNLF's activities to buttress his arguments about the danger posed by the outfit.

He said documents seized by NIA indicated that the outfit had collected Rs 44 crore from extortion of businessmen, government servants and other professionals in 2006 and funded its activities in India and foreign countries.

He said UNLF had full-fledged external affairs, HRD and defence wings and had spent Rs 37 crore on its activities in 2006.But the bench persisted with its query "Show us her nexus with UNLF's illegal activities" .

The bench upheld Gauhati High Court's order granting bail to Londhoni Devi but asked the trial court to impose appropriate conditions to ensure that she did not jump bail and abscond like other UNLF cadre.

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