The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the life sentence of self-styled NSCN “lieutenant” Hopeson Nignshen, who was convicted for the abduction and killing of three Manipur government officials in Ukhrul district in 2009. The court, however, directed him to remain within Delhi until his pending appeal is decided.
A bench comprising Justice M M Sundresh and Justice P B Varale noted that Nignshen had already spent more than 17 years in custody. The court said the suspension of his sentence was being considered particularly because his appeal against the conviction was still pending.
The bench imposed a clear condition that Nignshen must stay within the boundaries of Delhi and cannot leave the national capital until the appeal is disposed of.
The Manipur government opposed his plea for suspension of the sentence.
Nignshen was convicted by a trial court in 2014 for his role in the abduction and killing of Dr Thingnam Kishan Singh, then SDO-cum-BDO of Kasom Khullen, and two other government officials, Y Token Singh and A Rajen Sharma. He was also convicted of looting the belongings of the victims and was ordered to pay a fine of ₹35,000.
The Delhi High Court, on November 20, 2019, upheld the trial court's conviction and life imprisonment sentence.
The incident took place in February 2009 in Manipur's Ukhrul district. According to the CBI, on February 13, Nignshen and other NSCN-IM militants abducted Kishan Singh and five members of his personal staff.
The militants later released three of the abducted people, identified as Ram Singh Siro, Ramthing Singlai and Kapangkhui Jajo. The three belonged to the Naga community. Kishan Singh, Y Token Singh and A Rajen Sharma were allegedly killed.
Their bodies were later recovered from the banks of the Taphao Kuki river near Senapati.
The killings triggered ethnic tensions between the Meitei and Naga communities and led to a series of bandhs in Manipur. Given the sensitivity of the case, the state government handed the investigation to the CBI.
Nignshen was arrested by the CBI on May 29, 2009.
The case was subsequently transferred from Manipur to Delhi on the Supreme Court's direction in May 2010. The decision was taken after the CBI expressed concerns about a possible threat to Nignshen's life and the possibility of unrest if he were produced before a court in Manipur.
Reader Comments 0