The opposition Congress party in Manipur on Wednesday demanded a CBI inquiry into the 2018 drug smuggling case and the resignation of the chief minister on moral ground to deliver justice. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and former chief minister O Ibobi Singh and Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC-I) president Moirangthem Okendro conveyed the demands during a press conference in Imphal.
“We’re demanding to hand over the case to the CBI,” MPCC-I president Okendro said. “We’re also demanding the chief minister to resign on moral ground.”
The MPCC(I)’s demands came a day after chief minister N Biren Singh had informed the media that the BJP-led government’s initiative ‘war against drugs’ will continue and the government will not spare anyone, be it party members, family, friends or officials, if they are found involved in drug smuggling cases.
Biren’s statement came following a media report in which a lady police officer in Manipur Police department, in her affidavit to the High Court of Manipur, alleged that politicians and top police officers were involved in the said 2018 drug smuggling case.
The lady police officer is facing a suo motu contempt case for her remarks on Facebook, allegedly undermining the judiciary after the alleged drug smuggler was granted bail.
In June 2018, Manipur Police team seized 4.595 kilograms of contraband heroin and 2.80 lakh World is Yours (WY) Amphetamine tablets worth around Rs 27.79 crore in the international market from eight persons including the then chairman of Autonomous District Council (ADC), Chandel during an operation in and around Imphal.
Reacting to the said media report published on July 14, the Manipur Police Department in a press release on Tuesday clarified that there was no pressure from any quarter to the investigation officers in the case connected with the drug haul from former chairman of ADC, Chandel in 2018.
After a thorough investigation, the charge sheet of the case was submitted as laid down under the provision of law on October 6, 2018, PRO Manipur Police said in the release.
Maintaining that it has been working sincerely and relentlessly in the ongoing war against drugs, the release said right from the time of arrest of the accused person of the mentioned case till the submission of charge sheet, it has been taking up all requisite legal action to ensure that all the involved accused person are booked in accordance with the law.
