Imphal: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee has demanded chief minister N. Biren Singh to immediately step down in connection with 2018 drug smuggling case which allegedly involved former Chandel ADC (autonomous district council) chairman Lhukhosei Zou as Kingpin.
Zou, was arrested in June, 2018 from his Lamphel quarter and seized 4. 595 kg heroine with WY (World is Yours) amphetamine tablets of 2, 8200, a cash of Rs 57. 18 lakh and old currency notes of Rs 95 lakh from his quarter.
The Manipur PCC also demanded to handover the case to CBI.
The demands came on the next day chief minister N. Biren Singh made his statement that the state government’s war on drugs campaign will continue and no party involved whether friends or relatives involved in drug case would be spared. He said it would not be legally proper to comment on the allegations raised by an MPS officer on her affidavit submitted in High Court of Manipur.
MPS Officer and former additional superintendent of police, NAB (narcotic and affairs of border) on Monday submitted an affidavit before the High Court of Manipur alleging that the chief minister strongly pressurized her to release the suspected kingpin Zou. The lady police officer submitted her affidavit in connection with a suo-motu criminal contempt case registered by High Court of Manipur against her and others following the spat of comments on Facebook caused by her post which allegedly undermined and criticised the Court for granting three weeks bail to accused drug kingpin in the drug smuggling case.
Among others she alleged, in the affidavit, that on December 14, 2018 the DG asked the whereabouts of the charge sheet telling her that the chief minister wanted the charge sheet to be removed from court. She alleged that the chief minister scolded her stating “Is this why I gave you gallantry medal”.
Biren said it is known to all that no person can interfere in any judicial proceedings or court cases as law takes its own course to meet the ends of justice.
Manipur police department on Tuesday said there has been no pressure from any quarters to the investigating officers of the case in connection which the former ADC chairman of was arrested. It said Manipur police will continue to sincerely fight against the menace of drugs in Manipur.
Former Manipur chief minister and CLP leader Okram Ibobi Singh said, “We are suspicious that families of high profile people are involved in this drug case. So far the government fails to find out the persons involved in concerning the issue of drugs which were seized from Imphal City, which has very high value in the international market.”
He said the present government says ‘we materialise what have been spoken’ but any of what were said have not been materialised so far. “We are fed up of verbal expressions of both the centre and central government, we want commitments turn practical.” Will this issue be investigated by state police who pressed to withdraw the charge sheet? It should be immediately handed over to CBI instead of saying ‘no one will be spared’ to find out those involved in the drug case, he added.
“This is a grave concern… only through investigation the truth will definitely come out…” “The chief minister should resign immediately on moral ground. This particular case should be immediately hand over to the CBI which is an independent agency,” Ibobi said.
“Our party is surprised to learn the allegation by a brave official of law enforcing agency, an additional superintendent of police, in her affidavit. We don’t trust the state police in further taking up the case,” MPCC president Moirangthem Okendra said.
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