The Session Judge, Imphal West on Friday rejected the bail application filed by the co-owner of Revive Drug De-Addiction Cum Rehabilitation Centre, Utlou in Bishnupur. The co-owner was arrested along with other co-accused for allegedly murdering an inmate of the centre on June 2.
On June 2, around 9 pm, the 32-year-old deceased from Nambol, Bishnupur was brought to a hospital in Nambol with bruises mark on his thigh and behind reportedly due to beating by the staff of the rehabilitation centre. The doctor declared him "brought death".
As per police report, it was highly suspected that the inmate (deceased) might have been tortured before his death.
During the course of investigation, it was deduced that the accused, identified as Leiphrakpam Premananda Singh, brought the victim from Nambol Police Station and kept at his unauthorised rehab centre for which reason is not known.
The inmate (deceased) was beaten by the accused and other co-accused with a bamboo stick several times on June 2, holding his legs and hands, for trying to escape from the centre, it said, adding that the deceased collapsed, was rushed to a hospital where the doctor declared death.
While producing the accused before the court, the counsel of the accused stated that Premananda did not do anything nor had any intention to cause death of the victim and had no knowledge of assault by other co-accused who gave fatal blow to the victim.
Moreover, the accused left the centre at around 2 pm on the day of the incident and the complicated health issue of the victim was due to incidents which occurred around 7 pm as disclosed by the staff of the centre, the counsel further said.
Submitting this, the counsel prayed to release the accused person on bail.
Meanwhile, the public prosecutor, on behalf of the IO, submitted that post mortem report opined that "the death was due to shock and haemorrhage resulting from blunt force injury to the body."
Beating by bamboo sticks is likely to have cause the death as the drug addicts are generally weak, he added.
Provocation to beat the victim by the accused persons is not shown clearly, the PP stated, adding that if the accused is released on bail he might hamper the ongoing investigation by tampering crucial evidence and influencing the important witnesses and prayed for rejecting the bail prayer.
The witnesses so far examined by the investigating authority have stated that the accused person, along with other co-accused persons, have beaten the victim and no one from the centre stopped the beating.
After finding sufficient prima facie evidence against the accused person, the court rejected the bail application and disposed of.
Mentioned may be made that the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Imphal West II on June 13 had already rejected a bail application filed by the accused person earlier.
