Police tell Court that Ajay Chowdhry and team trafficked drugs in December too
Judge to Col : How can you say you were not aware ?
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 12 2013: Defence PRO Col Ajay Chowdhry, Ngairangbam Brojendro and Lunkhohao Haokip alias Haopu Haokip who were apprehended together with drugs worth Rs 25 crores at Pallel on February 24 have been charged by police for trafficking another huge consignment of drugs to Moreh in the first week of December last year.

Col Ajay Chowdhry, Ngairangbam Brojendro, Lunkhohao Haokip alias Haopu Haokip, Minlen Haokip, Seikholun Haokip, RK Babloo and Letminlan Haokip who were arrested with drugs worth Rs 25 crores were produced before the special Court of NDPS Manipur today.

Of the seven accused, police charged Col Ajay Chowdhry, Ngairangbam Brojendro and Lunkhohao Haokip alias Haopu Haokip of trafficking another huge consignment of drugs from M Sector to Moreh in the first week of December last year.

They used Col Ajay Chowdhry's official Gypsy and one Bolero jeep having registration number AS0-1BX-8699, police submitted before the Court.

The accused being led out of the Court after the hearing

The police submission further mentioned that investigation was on to confirm whether all the seven accused were involved in trafficking the drug consignment in December.

The drug consignment seized at Pallel on February 24 was loaded in one Tata Safari and two Bolero jeeps at the house of Lunkhohao Haokip alias Haopu Haokip located at Langol Games Village in the night of February 23, said police.

The drug-loaded Tata Safari was driven inside M sector the same night and all the vehicles used for trafficking the drug consignment were fitted with tinted glasses.

The real registration plate of the Tata Safari was removed and a new plate with a fake registration number was affixed and the vehicle was embossed with the word 'Army', said the police submission.

When the Judge enquired if the accused have anything to say, none of the accused except Col Ajay Chowdhry spoke a single word.

Col Ajay Chowdhry said that the new plate with fake registration number was affixed on the Tata Safari by RK Babloo and that he had no knowledge about it.

At this, the Judge countered, "How can you say you were unaware when you are an army Colonel ?" .

After hearing both sides, the Judge remanded all the seven accused to judicial custody for 11 days.

The Judge instructed police to bring the seven accused to the Court on March 22 .

Notably, while six of the accused were apprehended by Thoubal commandos at Pallel along with drugs worth Rs 25 crores which were being transported in three vehicles (SUVs) on February 24, Seikholen Haokip was arrested from his home in the night of February 25 .

When the seven accused were brought to Court today, members of the Working Groups of Meira Paibi Movement shouted slogans like "Drugs dealers should be given exemplary punishment", "Seized drugs should be destroyed in public" etc.

A number of CSOs have launched an anti-drug campaign in the State.