Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi
Curfew restrictions failed to deter hundreds of women from sitting in front of the Cheirap court premises in Imphal West district, where the Manipur police prayed for the judicial custody of the five youths — all village defence volunteers — arrested with sophisticated weapons and in camouflage uniforms.
The special court on Friday granted bail to the five village defence volunteers after furnishing a PR bond of Rs 50,000 with certain conditions. In its order, the court said the five accused will have to co-operate with the investigation, make themselves available before the investigating authorities and not influence prosecution witnesses. The court also directed the youths “not to leave the state of Manipur without its prior permission.”
Rejecting the remand prayer of Manipur police for judicial custody, the court said, “All the accused persons have not yet committed any prejudicial activities against the state till the time of the arrest.”
Mobs, many led by women, had on Thursday clashed with security forces who fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters as they attempted to storm police stations as part of “court arrest agitation” over the “government’s failure” to release the five youths.
The five were arrested by Manipur Police on September 16 and were later produced before the judicial magistrate in Imphal East which remanded them to police custody till Friday.
In the Supreme Court, meanwhile, the Manipur government filed a status report on recovery of arms from “all sources”. Appearing for the Centre and Manipur government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud the status report is for the “consumption” of judges only.
The Manipur police had recently stated that 5,668 weapons have been looted from the state armoury since the beginning of the violence on May 3 and security forces have recovered 1,329 of them. Another 15,050 ammunition and 400 bombs too have been recovered.
On the issue raised before the apex court that the CBI should be asked to give updates of the probe being conducted by the agency in 11 FIRs transferred to it in cases involving sexual violence against women and children in the state, the bench said it has already appointed “seasoned” IPS officer Dattatray Padsalgikar to supervise the investigation of criminal cases.
“Allow a little bit of time to the officer to take charge, monitor the situation and then we may ask for a status report,” said the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
The CJI said Padsalgikar, a former Director General of Police of Maharashtra, himself went to Manipur to oversee the process. He is one of the most highly respected officers from Maharashtra, Chandrachud said. The top court had earlier appointed a three-member committee of retired high court judges headed by Justice (retd) Gita Mittal, to oversee relief and rehabilitation of the victims of ethnic violence in the state.
