3 min readImphalNov 30, 2021 10:49 PM IST
First published on: Nov 30, 2021 at 10:48 PM IST
The High Court of Manipur on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to former Chief Minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh, in connection with a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate.
The case was registered by the Guwahati zonal office of the ED on March 16, 2020, based on an FIR file by the state’s Vigilance and Anti-Corruption department in 2018.
A single bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar granted the bail stating that “the court does not find any grounds warranting custodial interrogation at this stage in relation to events that took place long ago.”
In the course of the hearing, the court noted that the petitioner had been granted an anticipatory bail in connection to the said FIR on August 26, 2019. With the bail order having attained its finality, Ibobi sought similar relief in connection with the case.
Documentary evidence, which would be the fulcrum of the case, having already been secured and given the passage of time since registration of the earlier case, there is no “manifest risk” of the petitioner tampering with evidence or witnesses at this late stage, the court noted.
The HC further said that it finds no tangible reason to believe that the “petitioner would abscond or try to evade the law and, in any event, the same can be guarded against by imposing restrictions”.
The court, however, asked Okram Ibobi Singh not to leave the country and co-operate with the investigation as and when required. Ibobi was also asked to deposit his passport with the Assistant Director, Sub-Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate in Imphal within two days.
ED, while objecting the anticipatory bail application, sought permission for custodial interrogation of Ibobi to record statement and provide evidence.
The ED claimed that the petitioner would tamper with evidence, influence witnesses and might attempt to dispose of the proceeds of the crime among others, if granted bail, citing his position.
The ED had in 2020 registered the case on the ground that the documents pertaining to the Vigilance FIR indicated the accused persons, including Ibobi, allegedly embezzled government funds and a case of money laundering, under Section 3 of the Act of 2002, was made out.
The FIR pertained to the award of certain works by Loktak Development Authority (LDA), of which Ibobi was the chairman then. It was alleged that works were awarded in violation of the prescribed norms resulting in financial loss to the government and the exchequer.
Former Manipur CM Ibobi Singh (Source: File/PTI) 
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