Court vacates Lancha's interim bail
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 05 2024:
The Court of Session Judge, Imphal West today vacated the interim bail granted to Ningthouja Lancha in connection with an anticipatory bail filed before the Court regarding a suo moto case registered against him at Imphal police station.
A suo moto case was registered against Ningthouja Lancha for his announcement as a spokesperson of Phambei at a press meet held on September 1 last year at Heirok Part II Umang Laikol for observance of September 3 to September 21 as Black September as May 3 would mark four months since Kukis started the present conflict causing displacement of innocent Meitei people and dissolving of Manipur's own Constitution enacted in 1947 .
The anticipatory bail application was filed before the Court in December last year.
The Court had earlier granted him pre-arrest bail with a direction to the police to release him in the event of arrest in connection with the case on his execution of PR bond and surety.
The Court also called objection report from the concerned OC of Imphal police station.
Imphal police station submitted a bail objection report on December 19 last year and fixed December 27 for the hearing of the anticipatory bail application.
But Ningthouja Lancha's counsel did not appear before the Court on December 27 and the Court fixed the same matter for hearing today.
Ningthouja Lancha's counsel failed to appear before the Court today too.
The PP of the State submitted that the allegation against the accused/petitioner Ningthouja Lancha are offences under the UA(P) Act for which anticipatory bail cannot be granted and prayed for rejecting anticipatory bail.
The IO reported that the alleged accused/petitioner by his act of publication in newspapers, propagated his own secessionist agenda through the observance of Black September, thereby challenging the dissolution of Manipur's Constitution enacted in the year 1947 and also the Assembly on September 21, 1949, which are clear acts of threatening the integrity of the Nation; and mobilization of people for such activities is encouragement of secessionist activities.
The IO further reported that the accused/petitioner has been absconding arrest till date and has not complied with the investigation.
After hearing the IO/PP, the Court vacated the interim bail granted to Ningthouja Lancha on December 4, 2023 and also cancelled bonds furnished earlier, if any.