SC notices to Centre, Manipur in road rage case involving CM Biren Singh’s son

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Central and Manipur governments’ response on a petition by parents of Irom Rojer who was killed in 2011 in a road rage case by Ajay Meetai – the son of present chief minister N Biren Singh – seeking protection from the illegal and arbitrary acts of the state police.

Biren Singh in 2011 was sports minister in the government of the then chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh.

Following the death of Rojer on March 20, 2011, Meetai was tried by the sessions court, convicted for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10 lakh.

Besides Rojer’s parents Irom Chitra Devi and Irom Lokendra Singh, other petitioners Binalakshmi Nepram and Chandigarh-based advocate Utsav Singh Bains too have sought protection from the state machinery which was acting in an “arbitrary and illegal manner” allegedly at the behest of the present chief minister, who also holds the home portfolio.

A vacation bench of Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice Navin Sinha, while issuing notice to both governments, said that in case of Manipur it would be served on its standing counsel and its resident commissioner in Delhi. The notice is returnable on May 29.

Seeking directions for the security for Rojer’s parents, the petition has sought probe by an independent investigating agency into the alleged threats by the banned People Liberation Army (PLA) and other outfits.

The petitioners have also sought the release of Birjit – a close friend of Rojer’s parents – who is in an alleged illegal detention of state police. The petition has alleged that Birjit was being pressurised to ask Rojer’s mother to meet Biren Singh for some settlement of the case. The parents are presently camping in Delhi to escape harassment.

Recounting the instances of alleged harassment of Nepram and Bains by Manipur police, the petitioners have alleged links of Biren Singh with the PLA and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (IM). They alleged that Bains have received threat purportedly from the PLA through a WhatsApp message.