Joykishan, Bishwajit remanded till Sept 13

IMPHAL, Aug 30: Two BJP MLAs – Kh Joykishan and Th Bishwajit – who were arrested during a protest at Pangei have been sent to judicial custody till September 13 as they failed to furnish PR bonds of Rs 10,000 each before the CJM Imphal East.
Supporters of the two MLAs in large number and State BJP functionaries and workers led by their president K Bhabananda gathered at Lamphel Court complex holding party flags and banners after getting information of their Court appearance in the afternoon.
A large number of police personnel were deployed at the Court complex to thwart unwanted incidents.
The law makers were brought by a large number police personnel of Imphal East district and produced before CJM Imphal East Court under FIR No 156 (8) 2016 of Heingang police station under Section 147 (Punishment for rioting), Section 149 (Unlawful assembly guilty of offence), Section 151 (Knowingly joining or continuing in assembly of five or more persons after it has been commanded to disperse) and Section 353 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot – if rioting be committed – if not committed).
According to the order of the Court, the IO of the case produced both the accused before the Court and prayed for the judicial custody remand.
Reason of the arrest was made known to the accused and asked them about their right to choose their lawyer for defence, the order said.
Kh Joykishan submitted before the Court that they did not feel it necessary to engage any lawyer for the case and they would submit personally before the Court.
The Court order further mentioned that the Court perused the material on record and found that all the offences charged under Section 147/149/151 were bailable while the offence charged under Section 353 was non-bailable.
However, Heingang PS OC, who is the complainant in the case, submitted before the Court that there was no substantial evidence of the element under Section 353 IPC.
The two MLAs also submitted before the Court that they had not committed any act punishable under Section 353 IPC.
Later, the Court remanded the two legislators to judicial custody till September 13 as they failed to furnish PR bonds of Rs 10,000 each which could secure their release on bail.
However, Joykishan and Bishwajit were lodged at Porompat police station after the authority declared it as an ‘intermediate custody’.
Speaking to reporters as they were brought out of the Court room, Th Bishwajit said that the charges levelled against them by the police were baseless as there was no imposition of CrPC 144 in the area and they were simply holding a peaceful rally.
Kh Joykishan said that they left all the activists of BJP outside the gate of MPTC and he along with Th Bishwajit went inside MPTC complex and met the Director.
Even as they were talking with the Director, Imphal East SP came there and requested the MLAs to talk over a matter at his office chamber.
Joykishan said that while they were talking with the SP in his office, they were charged under Section 147/149/151/353 IPC and FIR lodged which was not the right procedure.
Stating that cancellation of the recruitment of police Constable was illegal, Joykishan said that they along with BJP supporters would continue to oppose such illegal practices of the Government.
Th Bishwajit said that until and unless the Government revokes the decision of holding fresh a recruitment, they would continue their movement.
By holding party flags, leaders and workers of BJP Manipur Pradesh shouted slogans like ‘Long Live BJP’, ‘MLA Bishwajit Ki Jai’ and ‘MLA Kh Joykishan Ki Jai’.