Court okays UNC leaders' participation in talk Gaidon set to lead UNC team
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 31 2017:
Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal East has directed the Additional DGP (Prison) to make necessary arrangements to enable United Naga Council (UNC) president and information secretary who are under judicial custody to attend the scheduled tripartite talk with Government of India and Government of Manipur to be held in New Delhi on February 3 .
UNC president Gaidon Kamei and information secretary Shangkhel Stephen filed an application in the Court pleading permission to participate in the tripartite talk which may be seen as a significant development over the ongoing economic blockade on National Highways.
The Court registered the application as Cril Misc case and heard the submission of the defence counsel and APP of the State.
During the hearing, the defence counsel submitted that the two accused UNC leaders are languishing in jail in different cases filed against them.
He stated that a meeting notice dated January 27 in respect to the tripartite talk was communicated to the UNC leaders.
The meeting notice signed by A Radha Rani, Deputy Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India addressed to Chief Secretary O Nabakishore and general secretary of UNC, S Milan was produced before the Court.
The defence counsel observed that participation of the two UNC leaders in the tripartite talk to be held at the Conference Hall (Room Number 123), North Block is highly necessary to bring an early solution to the ongoing blockade.
He prayed the Court to grant permission to allow the UNC leaders to take part in the talk.
APP of the State did not raise objection to the prayer.
After hearing all the submissions from both the counsels, the Court gave the permission.
The Court also directed the Additional DGP (Prisons), Government of Manipur to arrange necessary steps to enable the two UNC leaders to attend the tripartite talk.