Parading women naked : Four sent to CBI custody
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 31 2023: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken custody of four alleged accused persons arrested by State Police in connection with the viral video of two women paraded naked on May 4 .

On completion of the police custody period, the four accused identified as Huirem Herodas (32) of Pechi Awang Leikai, Arun Khundongbam (29) of Shikhong Bazar, Yumlembam Jiban of Nongpok Sekmai Awang Leikai and Ningombam Tomba of Pechi Awang Leikai were produced before the Court of Special Judge (SC&ST and Prevention of Atrocity Act) Thoubal today at Cheirap Court with a prayer for remanding them to judicial custody.

On the other hand, the defence counsel of the accused persons filed remand objection along with a prayer for releasing them on bail.

The CBI filed an application praying for handing over custody of the alleged accused to CBI along with a prayer to extend the police custody remand by another 3 days.

The CBI counsel submitted that the CBI took over the investigation of the case by an order issued by DIG, CBI, SIT Manipur Chojom Sherpa on July 30, and requested the Court to give a direction to the IO of the case to produce records including CDs, documents, recorded statements of witnesses and other exhibits.

The CBI also prayed for police custody remand of the accused so as to identify other co-accused and interrogate them to find out the chronology of the event which led to the heinous crime and find out the details of the organizations of which they were members as alleged in the FIR .

The Court after hearing the submission of the CBI counsel, Special PP of the State, defence counsels and on perusal of the case record observed that the investigation of the case has been transferred to CBI and hence, the prayer made by the IO of the case is granted.

The Court ordered that the four accused persons be taken over from State Police today itself so as to enable the IO of the CBI to investigate the case smoothly.

The Special Court remanded the four accused in CBI custody till August 2 .

The Court also directed the CBI to produce the accused persons on August 2 before the same Court at around 11.30 am without fail and to provide due medical aid to the accused persons every 48 hours and as and when required.

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