The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West on Monday vacated the direction of ‘no transfer of posting should be made to any police personnel being posted at Imphal Police Station’ as the judicial inquiry of an alleged custodial death of jeweller Arambam Nanao is almost completed.
On May 2, 2022, the court had directed the judicial magistrate first class/Imphal West – II, Robert Lhungdim (MJS) to conduct judicial inquiry into the alleged custodial death of the jeweller and submit the report within two weeks.
On the same day, i.e., May 2, 2022, at around 9 am, some police personnel in civil dress picked up the jeweller, Arambam Nanao, 37, of Sagolband Kangabam Leikai, from his residence on the charge of not returning borrowed gold. They allowed him to return home after some hours in police custody. But he reportedly collapsed and died in a hospital, allegedly succumbing to injuries.
The victim’s mother, Arambam Kombirei Devi prayed the court for instituting an independent inquiry into the death of her son.
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However, the judicial inquiry report is not submitted before the court by the JMFC, Imphal West-II stating that the Chemical Analysis Report is awaited from Kolkata and the concerned doctor informed that they cannot prepare the final cause of death of the deceased without the chemical analysis report.
The court, after considering the submission, opined that to have a comprehensive report for ascertaining the cause of death of the deceased, it is necessary to wait for the Chemical Analysis Report from the concerned expert of Kolkata and it seems to be proper not to keep fixing another date for the report.
Therefore, the court has kept the case in abeyance until a comprehensive report is submitted to the court by the JMFC, Imphal West - II.
On other hand, the District and Session Judge, Imphal West on Monday postponed bail hearing of the alleged accused, Thokchom Jitendro, to June 27.
Before the District and Session Judge, the SDPO Imphal West, through public prosecutor (PP), prayed to fix another date for bail consideration as expert opinion is still awaited.
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PP further submitted that considering the nature of the case, observed that symptoms examination of such cases requires trace level analysis and at present such facility is not available in the laboratory of FSL Pangei.
The court, after hearing the submission, fixed June 27 for bail hearing.
Meanwhile, the deceased’s wife appeared before the District and Session Judge court and pleaded to not release the accused Thokchom Jitendro on bail.
While, the court informed to engage a legal counsel of her own to assist prosecution if she desires so.
It may be mentioned that the sub-inspector of Manipur police Th Jitendro Singh was suspended on May 3 in connection with the death of the man in police custody, allegedly after brutal torture by the Imphal West district police.
