Pallel Drug Haul: Bail order cancelled
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, October 03 2013:
The Manipur High Court today cancelled the bail order issued by NDPS to release the seven accused in the Pallel drug haul case.
At the same time, the High Court has ordered all the accused to surrender before the NDPS within one week.
Justice N Kotiswar of Manipur High Court cancelled the bail order during the hearing of the case today.
The ruling of the court said that the bail order has been cancelled as per the Supreme Court directive which says that any individual arrested in connection with smuggling cases of psychotropic drugs smuggling cannot be granted bail.
During the hearing today, State Government's petitioner in the case, advocate RS Reisang said that the seven accused were released on bail in July last by the Special Court Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances after they were lodged in judicial custody for 120 days.
He said, "Drug smugglers can be given bail after 180 days of judicial custody.
However, the accused in the Pallel drug haul case cannot be given bail because the drugs which were seized from their possession were mostly psychotropic substances" .
Reisang further said that psychotropic drugs which contained ketamine worth over Rs 24 crore were seized from the seven accused and therefore further investigation into the case is highly needed so that the kingpins in the drug smuggling case can be arrested.
It may be noted here that among the seven accused in the Pallel Drug haul case, then PRO of PIB Defence Wing, Imphal Col Ajay Chowdhry, Assistant Manager (Customer Services) of Indigo Airlines, Imphal Ngairangbam Brojendro and personnel of 165 Battalion Territorial Army RK Babloo were granted bail on July 12 by NDPS while Seikholen Haokip, son of MLA TN Haokip; Lunkhohao Haokip alias Haopu Haokip, Zangminthang Tuboi and Letminlan Haokip were released on July 17 .
Col Chowdhry and his accomplices were nabbed by a team of Thoubal police commandos while they were trying to smuggled a huge quantity of drugs in three vehicles at Pallel in Chandel district on February 24, 2013 .
Social organizations including student bodies and NGOs in the state had strongly opposed the bail plea of the seven accused.
After their release, Government of Manipur filed a case in Manipur High Court challenging the bail order of NDPS on August 20 this year.
The hearing of the case was held in the court on September 24 and again on September 26 .
However, the ruling was announced by the court on Thursday after reserving it for one week.