A criminal miscellaneous application has been instituted on behalf of Okram Ibobi Singh before the HC, seeking his permission to travel abroad. The HC order stated that Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat has sanctioned on October 29, a sum of Rs 3,50,000 to the former CM for his foreign tour for the year 2023-24.

The former CM was granted pre-arrest bail by a High Court order of 2019; however, with a condition that he would not leave the country without prior permission of the High Court. He has been permitted to travel to Singapore and Australia by the HC in 2019, the HC observed.

Special Public Prosecutor, appearing for the State of Manipur and Senior PCCG, appearing for the CBI, opposed the present application on the ground that the investigation is in its final stage and therefore, the availability of the applicant is necessary at this point of time.
After hearing the submission, the HC permitted him to leave India for his tour to Singapore and Malaysia.

Congress leader O Ibobi is under investigation by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with its probe into alleged misappropriation of funds between 2009 and 2017 when he was the Manipur chief minister.

“It was alleged that the accused while working as chairman of Manipur Development Society from June 30, 2009, to July 6, 2017, in conspiracy with others, misappropriated government funds to the tune of Rs 332 crore out of the total amount of Rs 518 crore which was entrusted to them for the purpose of executing development work,” a CBI statement had said.