New Delhi: Two Manipuri residents have been convicted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by a Delhi court for being members of a banned terror outfit.
The court, however, freed them of the charges of indulging in illicit drug trafficking to raise money for the outfit due to lack of evidence.
Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh held the Manipur natives– Napoleon Thockchom and Nangthanbam Anand– guilty of the offence under section 20 (being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which entails a maximum punishment of life term.
“Both the accused persons pleaded guilty to the offence under section 20 of UAPA and said in their statements recorded under CrPC that they were members of the banned terrorist organisation Kanglaipak Communist Party (KCP). Hence, both the accused persons are convicted,” the judge said.
The court is yet to pronounce the quantum of sentence to both the convicts.
While acquitting them of the charges of raising money for the outfit by illegal drug trafficking, the court rejected their disclosure statements and said there was no evidence to prove the same.
“The disclosure statements of both the accused persons regarding indulging in trade of illegal drugs to raise money for financing activities of the banned organisation is inadmissible in evidence as there is no discovery of any such fact deposed to have been discovered in consequence of the statements of the accused… “Thus neither of the accused can be held guilty of the offence punishable under Section 18 (conspiring or knowingly facilitating commission of a terrorist act) of the UAPA,” it said.
The court also noted that both the convicts, along with four other accused, had been discharged of the offences under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act by another judge.
As per the police, it got a tip-off in March 2011 about large quantities of Ephedrine, a controlled substance, being illegally exported from Delhi to Myanmar and China via Manipur for manufacturing narcotics by Manipur-based traders and proceeds of the same were being sent to banned terrorist organisations based in the state to finance their activities.
Following the information, a raiding team of cops apprehended Napoleon Thockcham, who was allegedly found with a huge quantity of the substance which he collected from Gurgaon and was proceeding towards Delhi Airport to send it to Manipur.
It said that Napoleon revealed that these drugs were to be sent to Myanmar and China through Manipur and would be used for preparing ecstasy and other narcotic drugs for selling in parties.
He disclosed to the police that all this was being done to finance the banned terrorist organisation Kanglaipak Communist Party (KCP), headed by its commander in chief Nangthanbam Anand, it said.
Nangthanbam was apprehended two months later from Bangalore where he was hiding to evade arrest, the police said.
It further said that Napoleon disclosed that KCP had been formed in the year 1980 with objective to preserve the Meitei Culture and demands secession of Manipur from India.
He further said that KCP has funded its activities through extortion of local businessmen and MNCs of the region and had linkages with National Socialist Council of Nagaland and ULFA, the police said.
On being arrested, the outfit’s chief Nangthanbam told the police that he used to threaten people, send press notes and demand letters on behalf of the organisation.
During the investigation, police recovered a pen-drive containing copies of certain threatening letters, press notes written under the letter head of KCP.
He had seven more FIRs lodged previously against him. (PTI)
