Five remanded to judicial custody
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 25 2023: A Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has remanded the five persons, including a Myanmar National accused of funding insurgents to judicial custody till February 8 .

The five accused were produced before the Special Court after completion of their NIA custody period.

Notably, they were remanded to three more days of NIA custody by the same Court on January 23 .

The five persons arrested by the NIA are Deepak Sharma @ Khinmaung (38), S/o Sibalal Sharma of Sandaguu Block 5 Tamu Sagaing Division, Myanmar; Suraj Jaiswal (33) S/o Arjun Jaiswal of Ward No 3 Morning Bazar Moreh; Santosh Gupta (44) S/o (L) Bansari Lal of Ward No 3 Morning Bazar; Sonar Nepolean Bahadur (39) S/o Kali Bahadur of Moreh Khunou Leikai Ward No 9 and Saikhom Bruce (38) S/o (L) Saikhom Yaishkul of Moreh Khunou Leikai Ward No 9 .

The NIA had arrested the five on January 13 and during searches conducted at their residences the agency had recovered 9 mobile phones, 2 cash counting machines, cash amounting to Rs 29.75 lakh and bank related documents.

It has been alleged that their bank accounts were used to fund insurgents.

The NIA alleged that money was deposited into the bank accounts of the accused persons by the general public under threat and duress from the members of proscribed underground outfits.

Further, the deposited amounts were then transferred to members of proscribed underground organizations.

It is also alleged that the accused persons opened different accounts for illegal transactions.

On the other hand, the defense counsel of accused Sonar Nepolean Bahadur prayed for bail and submitted in the Court that he is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the case.

The counsel argued that Sonar Nepolean Bahadur is a proprietor of M/S AM Medicos, a wholesaler and distributor of medicines and he has nothing to do with proscribed organizations.

The counsel further argued that the money seized from him were for buying medicines.

However, the Special Court NIA, after perusal of the records and submissions by the prosecution and defense, opined that the evidences produced at the stage show they had committed the alleged crime levelled against them and remanded the five accused to judicial custody till February 8 .

The Court also registered the bail application filed by the counsel of accused Sonar Nepolean Bahadur as a regular bail and directed the NIA to submit a bail objection report on or before February 8 for hearing.

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