IMPHAL: The central bureau of investigation (CBI) has filed charge-sheet against five individuals in connection with the arms loot case in Manipur.

The charge-sheet was filed by the CBI on Wednesday (January 17) in a case of looting of arms and ammunition from Manipur police personnel in May last year.

The charge sheet was filed before the court of Kamrup-Metro chief judicial magistrate (CJM) in Guwahati, Assam.

“CBI has filed charge-sheet against 05 accused persons before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup (Metro), Guwahati, Assam, in a case related to loot of arms and ammunitions from Manipur Police Training College (MPTC), Pangei, Imphal on 04.05.2023,” a release stated.

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The case pertains to looting of arms and ammunition from Manipur Police Training College (MPTC) at Pangei in Imphal on May 4 last year.

“As alleged in the FIR, a mob stormed into MPTC Pangei complex on May 4 and looted away a huge number of arms and ammunition from the MPTC armoury during the ethnic conflict which broke out in Manipur,” the CBI added in the release.

Those named in the chargesheet are Moirangthem Anand Singh, alleged to be a former member of the proscribed People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of Manipur and the Kangleipak Communist Party (Noyon), Keisham Johnson, Konthoujam Romojit Meitei, Loukrakpam Michael Mangangcha and Aathokpam Kajit.

While Singh is in judicial custody, the fate of the other four was not immediately known.

CBI registered the case on June 9 last year by taking over the investigation of FIR No 54(5)2023 of May 4, 2023, registered at Police Station Heingang, Imphal East, Manipur in compliance of the notifications issued by the Manipur government and by the Union government under DSPE Act, 1946. 

A joint team of CBI and forensic experts from the CFSL has visited the scenes in Imphal and Churachandpur in Manipur linked to the alleged loot of arms and ammunition from armouries on July 23, 2023, amid protest from locals.

During the investigation, the CBI team and the experts from the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) visited the crime scenes at the MPTC at Pangei, beside Naoremthong, located close to the NG Collge near Imphal in Manipur.

The CBI formed a 10-member SIT under a DIG-rank officer to probe six cases related to the Manipur violence referred to it by the state government.