Manipur News: Five village defence volunteers arrested for possessing weapons, granted bail after protests

In violence stricken Manipur, a special court has granted bail to five ‘village defence volunteers’ who had earlier been arrested by Manipur Police for possessing weapons. The release on bail comes amid an agitation by Manipur residents demanding the five youth be released. 

The youth in Manipur were released on bail after furnishing a PR bond of ₹50,000 with certain conditions, they said.

In its order, the court said the five accused "shall co-operate with the investigation", make themselves available before the investigating authorities and “not influence prosecution witnesses.” The court also directed the youths "not to leave the state of Manipur without its prior permission."

Rejecting the remand prayer of Manipur police for judicial custody, the court said, "all the accused persons have not yet committed any prejudicial activities against the state till the time of the arrest."

Defying curfew restrictions, hundreds of women sat in front of the Cheirap court premises in Imphal West district, where the hearing was held demanding the release of the five youths.

The state had witnessed widespread clashes between security forces and protesters on Thursday after demonstrators attempted to storm police stations as part of "court arrest agitation" over government's failure to release the five youths.

The five were arrested by Manipur Police on 16 September for possession of weapons and donning camouflage uniforms. They were later produced before the judicial magistrate in Imphal East which remanded them to police custody till Friday.

Meanwhile, the Manipur government on Friday told the Supreme Court it has filed a status report on recovery of arms from "all sources" in the ethnic violence-hit state.

Manipur plunged into a vortex of violence in May over a high court order directing the state government to consider including the non-tribal Hindu majority Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes.

This order led to rampant ethnic clashes. More than 160 people have been killed and several hundred others injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for ST status.

(With agency inputs)