Murder case of L Rameshwor : RTI activist Joykumar sent to jail
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 02 2023:
RTI activist Advocate Wahengbam Joykumar has been remanded to judicial custody for 15 days for his alleged involvement in the murder case of Laishram Rameshwor, convener of the Bharatiya Janata Party Manipur, Ex-Servicemen Cell on January 23 .
Wahengbam Joykumar (52) s/o (L) Biramur of Wangkhei Hijam Leikai was arrested from his residence on January 28 in connection with the investigation of the murder case of Laishram Rameshwor.
W Joykumar was today produced before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thoubal by the IO of the case after completion of police custody period.
Through an APP, the IO submitted that W Joykumar was arrested as a part of the further investigation of the murder case taken up by Thoubal police station.
On analysis of the CDR record of main accused Ayekpam Keshorjit, it was found that just after committing the crime, Ayekpam Keshorjit frequently contacted W Joykumar and on examination, Joykumar revealed that he is an RTI activist and closely associated with Ayekpam Keshorjit who is also an RTI activist.
Joykumar disclosed that he along with Keshorjit filed RTI applications to different departments in order to find faults/loopholes in their functioning and blackmail the departments to pay them money, the IO alleged in his submission.
It was also disclosed that W Joykumar and A Keshorjit had collected substantial amounts from Government departments including Rs 50,000 from Agriculture Department, Rs one lakh from one social worker of Kwakeithel, Rs 30,000 from Veterinary Department, Rs 30,000 from Horticulture Department and they also demanded Rs five lakh from an officer of Agriculture Department but the officer did not give any money till their arrest.
As late Laishram Rameshwor posed obstructions/interfered when they demanded money from the officer of Agriculture Department, Joykumar asked Keshorjit to teach Rameshwor a 'lesson' .
Subsequently Keshorjit went to the house of Rameshwor with a licensed gun and shot him dead.
However, Joykumar claimed that he only asked Keshorjit to shoot Rameshwor on the legs.
After firing at the victim, Keshorjit called Joykumar on mobile phone and said "Tamo ei mido hatlamme, Kamaina toudoino (I have killed the man.
What shall I do now?)" .
To this, Joykumar replied that it was ok and he would handle the matter, the IO told the Court.
Naorem Ricky Pointing who has also been arrested in connection with the same case disclosed that on the day of incident, he and Keshorjit went to the residence of the victim.
After reaching there, he parked the vehicle and remained inside the vehicle listening to music while Keshorjit went to the house.
After some 20 minutes, the main accused (Keshorjit) ran out hurriedly from the house and instructed him to drive the vehicle immediately and he frighteningly drove the vehicle toward Yairipok side.
Ricky Pointing also saw some blood stains on Keshorjit's hand.
As they proceeded toward Imphal through Yairipok Ngariyan road, Keshorjit made a phone call to an unknown person saying, "Tamo ei mido hatlamme, kamai toudoino" .
On further examination, Ayekpam Keshorjit revealed that he collected money from different Government departments by filling RTI applications along with W Joykumar.
He also said that he was directed by W Joykumar to surrender to police and tell a concocted story to the police that he had fired upon (late) Rameshwor when Rameshwor tried to fire him by taking out one small arm.
The IO also submitted that the photograph taken by the victim just before Keshorjit shot him clearly shows that there is no question of Rameshwor taking out any type of gun.
Saying that Ayekpam Keshorjit and W Joykumar had common intention in committing the crime, the IO prayed for judicial custody of W Joykumar.
The Court, on perusal of the case record and after hearing the submission of the IO, remanded W Joykumar in judicial custody.
Ayekpam Keshorjit and Naorem Ricky Ponting were produced before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thoubal on January 24, after they were arrested the previous day, and remanded in police custody till February 6 .
In the meantime, Ayekpam Keshorjit's wife submitted an application to the DGP claiming that her husband was an RTI Activist and her husband shot L Rameshwor in self defence.
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