Manipur: Myanmar national among three terrorists charge sheeted

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The National Investigation Agency has filed a charge sheet against three people, including a Myanmar national, in a case related to extortion by members of proscribed terror outfits in Manipur, an official said on Thursday.

The charge sheet was filed in a special court here against Deepak Sharma (38) alias Khinmaung of Myanmar, Suraj Jasiwal (33) and Shaikhom Bruce Meetei (38) of Manipur, who were found collecting funds for different terror groups to further their activities, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

The official said all the three were charged under the Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act and the Indian Penal code, while Sharma has been additionally charged under the Foreigners Act.

The investigation, so far, has revealed that the cadres of the banned outfits like the People's Revolutionary Army, Kangleipak Communist Party, People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak and United National Liberation Front, had been making extortion calls to people in Imphal and the Valley areas to raise funds for their organisations.

These cadres shared bank account details of their associates with the victims and instructed them to deposit the money in the same, the spokesperson said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered the case suo moto on March 9 last year.

The Supreme Court Monday cautioned the counsels representing the Meitei and Kuki groups to refrain from levelling allegations and using the court as a platform to escalate the volatile situation in Manipur.

The cautionary remarks of the apex court came after senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the Kuki group, made repeated attempts to claim that the violence against the Kuki community was state-sponsored, news agency ANI reported.

"We do not want these proceedings to be used as a platform for further escalations of violence and other problems. We must be conscious that we are not running security or law and order. This is a humanitarian issue and needs to be looked at from that angle," said a bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha while intervening Gonsalves.

(With inputs from PTI)