The SC granted conditional bail to the NSCN ( I-M) leader while his appeal remains pending and directed him to stay within Delhi until the case is finally decided.
BY PC Bureau
NEW DELHI, September 7: The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the life sentence of former self-styled NSCN-IM Lieutenant Colonel Hopeson Ningshen, who has spent more than 17 years in prison for the abduction and murder of three Manipur government officials in 2009.
A Bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale granted the relief while imposing a strict condition that Ningshen remain within Delhi until his pending appeal against conviction is decided.
The Court’s order came after it considered the unusually long period Ningshen had already spent behind bars. The bench had earlier sought the CBI’s response on whether his sentence could be suspended in view of his prolonged incarceration, subject to his remaining in the national capital.
The Manipur government opposed the plea, citing the sensitivity of the case. The prosecution also expressed apprehension about his release. The Additional Solicitor General, however, told the Court that if it was inclined to suspend the sentence, appropriate safeguards could be imposed.
The Court ultimately allowed the suspension, making it clear that Ningshen cannot leave Delhi until the appeal is disposed of.
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The order stated that the matter had been adjourned several times because of the sensitivity involved and noted that Ningshen had been incarcerated for more than 17 years while his appeal remained pending.
Ningshen was convicted in connection with the killing of Kasom Khullen Sub-Divisional Officer Dr Thingnam Kishan Singh and two staff members, Yumnam Token and Aribam Rajen, who were abducted and subsequently murdered in 2009.
The trial was transferred from Manipur to Delhi in 2010 amid communal tensions and concerns over Ningshen’s safety. A Special CBI Court convicted him in 2014, and the Delhi High Court upheld the conviction on November 20, 2019.
The Supreme Court’s order does not acquit Ningshen or overturn his conviction. It only suspends the sentence while his criminal appeal remains pending, subject to the condition that he stays within Delhi.
THE INCIDENT
The CBI subsequently alleged that the abduction was part of a conspiracy involving NSCN-IM cadres and that a ransom of Rs 20 lakh had been demanded before the three hostages were killed. Hopeson Ningshen, described by the prosecution as a self-styled Lieutenant Colonel of NSCN-IM, was convicted by the CBI court for conspiracy, kidnapping for ransom and murder. The Delhi High Court upheld his conviction in 2019.
