Court rejects NIA's plea to shift Meghen to Tihar

GUWAHATI: The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court of judge Adhir Kumer Das on Monday rejected the NIA's plea to shift the jailed chairman of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Rajkumar Meghen, from Guwahati Central Jail to the Tihar Jail in Delhi on security grounds.

The court rejected the request as the NIA couldn't provide substantial evidence in favour of its plea that the rebel leader was in close contact with Manipur-based militant groups and can influence the witnesses.

"Though the NIA charged Meghen with all possible violations of jail norms, the court could not find any record of this. Moreover, under the Transfer of Prisoners' Act 1950, there is no provision to shift an undertrial from one state's jail to that of another," said Gunedhor Singh, Meghen's counsel.

Meghen also opposed the NIA charge and said all the allegations were baseless. "How can I be in contact with Manipuri ultras when I am behind the bars? It's ridiculous and all the allegations are baseless," he said.

The NIA has been pressing on the need to immediately shift Meghen to Tihar Jail. The agency has informed the Union home ministry that the UNLF leader's stay in Guwahati Central Jail might allow him to keep his contacts alive with other Manipur-based ultras and influence the witness.

Commenting on any possible peace dialogue, Meghen blamed the government for its reluctant attitude in solving the crisis in Manipur. "There is no initiative from the government, so we are still at our earlier stand of Manipur's sovereignty," Meghen said.

The militant leader also clarified the controversy regarding his place of arrest and said the investigation agency lied regarding his time and place of arrest. "I was arrested in Dhaka and I have been saying this for a long time. However, NIA has said that they arrested me from Motihari in Bihar," Meghen added.

Meghen was arrested on September 29 last year from Dhaka in Bangladesh by a joint team of India's RAW and Bangladeshi intelligence officials. After a hue and cry over the report, the NIA said he was arrested from Motihari in Bihar on November 30, 2010.

Meghen's council did not comment on any possibility of filing a bail petition for him shortly.

On Monday, Meghen was produced before the NIA court along with other 14 UNLF leaders. Rajkumar Meghen, a member of the Manipur royal family, has been fighting for nearly 35 years since he left his home in Imphal to lead the armed fight for the sovereignty of Manipur.