Journalism of Courage
Supreme Court suspends life sentence of Naga insurgent in 2009 Manipur triple killing
The Supreme Court noted that Hopeson Ningshen has spent more than 17 years in custody and that his appeal against conviction is awaiting final hearing.
The court said Ningshen must remain in Delhi until his appeal is decided. (File Photo)
The Supreme Court Monday suspended the life sentence of a self-styled lieutenant colonel in the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) or NSCN-IM, convicted in the 2009 abduction and killing of three government officials in Manipur.
Noting that Hopeson Ningshen has spent more than 17 years in custody and that his appeal against conviction is awaiting final hearing, the bench of Justices M M Sundaresh and P B Varale suspended his sentence.
The bench directed that Ningshen must remain in Delhi and not leave the city until his appeal is decided.
Ningshen was convicted for the abduction and murder of Dr Thingnam Kishan Singh, Kasom Khullen Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), Y Token Singh, and A Rajen Sarma.
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2014, along with a separate finding of theft for looting the victims’ belongings, and imposed a fine of Rs. 35,000.
According to CBI, the bodies of the deceased were recovered from the banks of the Tuphau Kuki River.
The Delhi High Court upheld that sentence in 2019, saying that “having regard to the nature of the offence and the manner in which it was executed, we concur [with the lower court findings]…we are of the view that the appellant needs no leniency and deserves a stricter punishment.”
Story continues below this ad
The killings had raised communal tensions. Amid the possibility of an attack on the accused during the proceedings, the case was transferred from Manipur to Delhi in 2010.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Advertisement
Live Blog
Advertisement