Court remands
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 21 2024:
Apart from remanding a man who was arrested with improvised explosive device (IED) to judicial custody, the Special Court NIA Imphal West has granted leave for formal arrest of the same man in another case.
Sholen (40) s/o Helmang Haokip of Mission Veng, Moreh was produced before the Special Court NIA Imphal West today through video conferencing after completion of police custody period by a team of Moreh police station in connection with an FIR case registered against him for illegal possession of improvised explosive devices (IED) .
Sholen was arrested by police along with IEDs on March 8 morning from Asian Highway 1 bypass junction, Moreh.
During interrogation the accused admitted to have committed the charges levelled against him and disclosed that he is a member of the Kuki Volunteers Force trained by Kuki National Army (KNA) in the thick jungle of Yangoubung village, Moreh near Minal River and was involved in many activities like transportation of weapons including explosives for attacking security forces and waging war against the Government on various instances, a special PP submitted before the Court.
Sholen also disclosed that he was supplying bombs, IEDs and pompi guns to Kuki volunteers who were attacking security forces in pursuit of a separate Kukiland since the beginning of the ongoing ethnic conflict.
He also made bomb launchers and IEDs under the direction of Kuki Volunteer Force leaders.
Being a member of the Kuki Volunteers Force, he took key roles in the incident that took place on March 7 in which two persons were brutally assaulted and their vehicle was burnt down for transporting construction materials and supplying essential items to the State force stationed at Moreh.
The IED seized from his possession was intended to be used for attacking the security forces who came to track the hijacked vehicle (burnt down vehicle), said the special PP.
The special PP further submitted that the accused is a hardened criminal who was engaged in making IED and local bomb launchers for attacking security forces.
The Court, after hearing the submission of the Special PP and on perusal of the case record, remanded Sholen to judicial custody till April 4 .
In the meantime, another team of Moreh police station filed an application for making formal arrest of the accused in connection with the brutal assault of the driver and handyman of a Hyva dumper truck near M Chanou village on March 7 .
The Court, after hearing the submission of the special PP and on perusal of the material on record, granted the prayer for formal arrest of the alleged accused.