Remand for Thangal Keithel murder accused
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 14 2026: The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West, today remanded murder accused Yendrenbam Paona (60) and co-accused Laishram Ngongo (39) to judicial custody in connection with the murder of a non local identified as Ankush Das at Thangal Keithel on September 7 .

Paona of Kanglasiphai Makha Leikai, and Ngongo, son of (L) Munan of Kanglasiphai Awang Leikai, were produced before the Court by a team of City Police Station after completion of their police custody period.

The police sought judicial custody remand for further investigation.

What the APP submits

The Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) for the State submitted that during police custody interrogation, the accused persons disclosed that the weapon allegedly used in the crime, a machete, had been thrown away near the riverbank at Minuthong while they were returning home.

Based on the disclosure made by Paona, the machete was subsequently recovered from Minuthong riverbank with the assistance of the Mobile Forensic Unit, Imphal West.

Paona admitted his involvement in the crime and disclosed that he had known Ankush Das since 2019 .

Das was reportedly an agent for TENS Medicines, while Paona used to sell clothes at different places by hiring an autorickshaw.

The two frequently discussed business matters and eventually became close friends before deciding to enter into a business partnership.

During their partnership, Das allegedly suggested that Paona start a business involving the sale of ganja.

In April, they allegedly decided to engage in the trade, following which Paona mortgaged his Swift car and handed over Rs 4.5 lakh to Das.

Paona allegedly disclosed that Das contacted a ganja supplier, who came to the ISBT area on May 1 this year and handed over 1,220 kg of ganja.

Das then left for Silchar the following day, while Paona travelled to Silchar on May 4 .

While staying at a hotel in Rangari, Silchar, Das met Paona and informed him that the entire consignment, comprising 80 packets, had reached Silchar and had been stored at a safe place.

On May 7, Das arrived at the lodge along with an acquaintance and told Paona that the man would purchase the entire consignment.

He also informed Paona that two autorickshaws would arrive to load 14 packets of ganja and instructed him to assist in loading the packets and follow them to Banskandi in a separate autorickshaw.

After the 14 packets were loaded, the two autorickshaws proceeded towards Banskandi, with Paona following them in another autorickshaw.

Paona expected the payment to be made at Banskandi.

Upon reaching near a Mosque at Banskandi, Paona saw the packets being transferred from the two autorickshaws into a black van in the presence of Das and his acquaintance.

Paona did not stop his autorickshaw and proceeded ahead.

However, around 50 metres from the unloading site, a plainclothes police team intercepted his autorickshaw and arrested him.

When Paona turned around to look for Das and the other man, he saw them fleeing the scene.

Paona suspected that the remaining 66 packets of ganja had been sold by Das for his own financial gain, as the police were unaware of the remaining consignment.

Paona was subsequently remanded to Silchar Central Jail until August 31 following his arrest by Lakhipur Police.

Paona became deeply aggrieved with Das, whom he regarded as a younger brother, believing that Das had betrayed him despite knowing about his family's financial difficulties and the fact that he had mortgaged his vehicle for the consignment.

After his release and return to Imphal, Paona went to Thangal Keithel and began searching for Das through mutual acquaintances.

He was informed that Das was staying at Thangal Keithel.

On September 7, at around 5 pm, Paona left his house on his son's moped carrying a machete and picked up co-accused Ngongo.

The two consumed local liquor at Sawombung before proceeding towards Imphal.

They parked the moped at Jalal Crossing, where Paona asked Ngongo to wait.

Paona then proceeded towards the rented room of Das carrying the machete.

Finding the room locked, he searched the surrounding area and subsequently spotted Das near Jalal Crossing talking to two non-Manipuri persons before sitting on a public bench on the eastern side of Thangal Road.

Paona quietly approached Das, who was sitting on the bench with the two other persons, pulled out the machete wrapped in a black polythene and struck him twice on the neck before fleeing the spot along with the co accused.

The incident occurred at around 9.30 pm on September 7 near Axis Bank at Thangal Keithel Mall Road.

Das was attacked while sitting on a bench with two other persons and died on the spot.

After hearing the submissions of the APP and examining the case records, the Court remanded both accused persons to judicial custody till September 28 .

According to local sources, Paona had recently been released on bail from a jail in Assam, where he had been lodged for around three months in connection with an NDPS-related case registered by Assam Police.

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