Imphal: Forty-two Kuki prisoners were set free on Friday from Manipur Central Jail, Imphal by the government of Manipur, after 15 prisoners belonging to the Kuki community were released in May.
All the prisoners were arrested under various cases, mostly under the NDPS Act, including one prisoner arrested under the POCSO Act. Some of the prisoners were also involved in extortion, blackmailing, and attempted murder, police said.
Thirty-four of them were related to drug cases.
The government released the 42 prisoners ‘as they had completed their jail terms’.
On the release paper signed by the jailor of the Foreigners Detention Centre, it was mentioned in the remarks that “no family member turned up to receive the undertrial prisoners (UTP) due to the prevailing law and order situation in the state.”
Most of the UTPs were arrested during 2022 and 2023, and among the 42 UTPs, 34 were related to drug cases.
Police sources said due to the prevailing situation, the prisoners were released with the help of the Indian Army. Later, the UTPs were handed over to Kangpokpi police station for further transit.
On May 12, fifteen prisoners at Manipur Central Jail were released. All 15 prisoners belonged to the Kuki community and were arrested in 2022 for cases related to drugs, extortion, blackmailing, attempted murder, and other charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The 15 prisoners were handed over to the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), an apex body of Kuki-Zo.
On July 3, the Supreme Court asked the Biren-led Manipur government to make immediate arrangements for the prisoners staying in Manipur Central Jail to be taken to Gauhati Medical College in Assam for their health examinations. The court ordered all expenses to be borne by the state government and set a deadline of July 15 for concerned officials to place the relevant details on record.
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