IMPHAL, Sep 27: All nine accused police personnel who were charge-sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently in connection with the July 23 BT Road firing incident have been granted bail today after being produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Imphal West.
The trial of the accused police personnel will begin from tomorrow before the Court of District and Session Judge, Manipur East.
The nine accused police personnel, namely Inspector Y. Munal Singh, Inspector H. Devendra Singh, Head Constable Thounaojam Herojit Singh, Rifleman Ngangom Toyaima Singh, Constable W. Binoykumar, Havildar Th. Jagat, Rifleman Md. Imran Khan, Head Constable Oinam Keshor Singh and Constable Makan Kanchung Chothe were brought before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Imphal West, BK Sharma, today amidst tight security arrangement in and around the Cheirap Court Complex.
The bail applications of all the nine accused police personnel were granted by the CJM Imphal West after considering the prayer of the petitioners.
The counsels of the petitioners and CBI stated that the accused persons are government officials who have extended full cooperation to the prosecuting agencies all along the course of investigation of the case. They have never absconded and avoided any process of the case and so they have been granted bail by the CJM, the counsels added.
Speaking to mediapersons after the proceedings of the Court, public prosecutor Ng. Tejkumar stated that the nine accused police personnel had surrendered before the Court on September 25 following the warrant of arrest issued by JMIC Imphal West as per the charge-sheet submitted by the CBI in connection with the July 23 BT Road firing incident.
He said that the trial for the bailed out police personnel will begin at the Court of District and Session Judge, Manipur East, from tomorrow. The former OC of City Police, Y. Munal, will face the trial under Section 218 of IPC for preparing false records by a public servant and the eight other accused personnel will undergo trial under Section 302 of IPC for murder, Tejkumar noted.
It may be mentioned that the CBI has filed the charge-sheet against nine accused police personnel in connection with the July 23 BT Road firing incident after conducting thorough investigation for nearly nine months.
The charge-sheet was filed in the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West, against eight Manipur Police Commandos and the then Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the City Police who have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the gruesome BT Road firing incident.
The accused persons have been charge-sheeted under section 34 r/w 302, 218, 203 IPC and also under other substantive offenses.
According to the acts and sections under which they are charged, including the IPC 302, the serious charge of murder is punishable by death penalty or imprisonment for life if convicted and the Section 218 of the IPC i.e. preparation of false records by a public servant is punishable by a jail term of two to three years.
