While some CSOs and Meira Paibi groups have been pressing for an appeal and re-investigation into the Lhukhoshei Zou case, other CSOs have welcomed the judgement and have urged the government not to approach a higher court against it.
TFM Desk
After some Churachandpur-based CSOs, a group of Moreh-based CSOs have urged chief minister N Biren Singh not to appeal against the judgement of Lhukhosei Zou’s case and also not to harass him in the name of “War on Drugs”.
The Hill Tribal Council, Kuki Women Union & Human Rights, Tamil Sangam, Manipuri Muslim Council, and Gurkha Samaj Sewa Samiti submitted a representation to the CM on Tuesday in this regard. They said that they have taken serious note of the CSOs demanding appeal to a higher court and re-investigation into the 2018 multi-crore drug haul case.
The Moreh CSOs also expressed their resentment over dharnas against Lhukhosei Zou after he was acquitted by an ND&PS court.
Maintaining that there are many illegal drugs and corruption cases involving crores of money whereby the accused were acquitted, the representation said that in a special trial case in ND&PS court Thoubal, ASP Th Brinda, NAB OC Rishikesh Sharma and others were acquitted in a corruption case. The CSOs said that it really “shocked” the complainant and the public.
“But it is more shocking that the self-style custodians of law who continuously harassed Lhukhosei Zou were keeping mum till today, nor Moreh based CSOs made unwanted noise,” it said.
The Moreh based CSOs said that the continuous agitation crying for appeal in higher court by some CSOs maintaining a double standard targeting a leader of Moreh town is unwelcomed. They should not take the law in their own hands, it asserted and added that if they are very much keen to appeal against Lhukhosei Zou’s case, they should appeal in other cases as well. They should not show favouritism and should strive to live in communal harmony, it asserted.
The representation signed by Hil Tribal Council president Joseph Ginkhosei, KWU & HR president Hatneikim Mate, Tamil Sangam president KBS Maniam, Manipuri Muslim Council president Md Jalaluddin, and Gurkha Samaj Sewa Samiti president Durga Sharma Acharya also accused ASP Th Brinda of demanding a sum of Rs 4 crore from Lhukhosei Zou through her subordinate officers while Zou was in the lock-up and again for “non issue of charge sheet”. They also accused Brinda of harassing and humiliating Lhukhosei Zou.
Maintaining that the “Media trial” since the arrest of Lhukhosei Zou is unfortunate, the Moreh based CSOs also opined that the “orgy” still continues. It also contended that the CSOs demanding appeal and re-investigation are instigated to agitate by “vested individual political rivals” and some opposition political parties to accuse the present BJP led government of Manipur.
An ND&PS court on December 17 acquitted seven accused including former Chandel ADC chairman Lhukhosei Zou from whose official quarter a huge quantity of drugs worth around Rs 27 crore were seized. A driver of Lhukhosei Zou and a helper have been convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. CSOs and Meira Paibi organisations have been demanding the government to appeal to a higher court and re-investigate the case, which they said was influenced and reeked of collusion.