IMPHAL, April 16: Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, Th Lokeshwar who was charged with impersonation has failed to appear in Court today.
Instead, a counter case has been filed by the Speaker himself to the Sessions judge, Manipur East on April 15.
The Speaker was charged that his name was used as Oinam Lokeshwar and not as Thokchom Lokeshwar while persuing higher studies at Manipur University.
But, in his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India, he came under the title of Thokchom, thus creating the confusion and present legal scenario.
According to Criminal Revision case number 4 of 2015,under section 397 writ with S.399 of the CrPC the complainant Namoijam Shinghajit Singh is a defeated candidate of the last assembly election and the case was not filed by a public authority.
Further, the affidavit of the Speaker was sworn in on January 11, 2012 and the complaint was filed on March 30, 2015 and as such is being barred by limitation.
Citing many references, it was prayed that the revision petition of Lokeshwar be admitted and the earlier order against him be set aside as the complaint is filed by an unauthorized person and barred by limitation.
In this regard, the order of the Sessions judge ,Manpur East stayed the order of the earlier order(Cril. Case no.35 of 2015) passed against Lokeshwar by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal East on March 30 last has been stayed and further proceedings have been fixed on 29/4/2015.
It may be mentioned that the earlier petitioner namely N Singhajit had disclosed the case of impersonation to the media on April 3 last at Manipur Press Club.