The Supreme Court made a significant decision to transfer the trial of an arms theft case involving Kuki Revolutionary Army -KRA Chief David Hangshing and United Kuki Liberation Front-UKLF leader Lhunkhoson Haokip from Manipur to Assam on April 29.
The Bench, consisting of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, directed the transfer of the pending 2018 case to the Special Court (NIA) in Guwahati, Assam.
The court had signalled its willingness to move the case out of Manipur during a hearing on April 22. Additional Solicitor General Vikramjeet Banerjee was tasked with identifying a suitable location or court outside Manipur for the trial, and on April 29, he suggested Guwahati, Assam.
However, Banerjee clarified that proposing Guwahati as the trial venue shouldn’t be interpreted as a concession. Subsequently, the court ordered the transfer of the case from Manipur to the Court of Special Judge (NIA) in Guwahati, Assam.
Both parties involved in the case have been instructed to appear before the Guwahati Special Court on June 3, 2024.
The transferee Special Court has been granted the authority to determine whether statements or evidence should be recorded via video conferencing.
The case traces back to 2018 when an incident of theft involving 56 pistols and 58 magazines occurred at the Director General Pool Armoury within the premises of the 2nd Manipur Rifles Battalion. These weapons were allegedly sold to certain separatist groups, sparking legal proceedings.
