Imphal: The Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Manipur Number 1, on Friday, January 30, 2026, took cognisance of a charge sheet filed against Jackson Phinao in connection with the robbery of over Rs 18.85 crore from the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Manipur’s Ukhrul branch.
The court also directed the NIA to furnish relevant charge sheet documents to the accused on February 6, 2026.
The NIA submitted the charge sheet on January 23, 2026, and also filed an application seeking permission to obtain the voice sample of the accused, along with the prosecution sanction.
The accused, Jackson Phinao, also known as P Jackson and Joseph Phinao (then Major), is a former self-styled Lieutenant Colonel of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland–Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM). He is a resident of Roni village in Manipur’s Kamjong district.
Court records state that the accused has been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged role in the conspiracy and execution of the bank robbery.
A group of armed miscreants had looted around Rs 18.85 crore from the PNB Ukhrul branch, located at Viewland in Ukhrul district headquarters, on November 30, 2023, at around 5.40 pm.
In compliance with an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 3, 2025, the NIA Imphal Branch took over the case from the Ukhrul police station after re-registering it.
In a follow-up action, the accused and other NSCN-IM cadres were arrested by the Nagaland Police on July 30, 2025, and handed over to the Manipur Police for further legal proceedings. They were subsequently taken into the custody of the NIA Imphal Branch.