Manipur HC grants interim bail to former CM Okram Ibobi in corruption case

Ibobi was earlier questioned on April 2 evening by the vigilance department at his official quarters at Babupara in connection with the same case.

Former Manipur CM Ibobi Singh (Source: File/PTI)

The Manipur High Court has granted interim bail to former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Friday in connection with the multi-crore Loktak Development Authority (LDA) scam. An FIR was lodged by the vigilance and anti-corruption department of Manipur against the former CM. While the next date for hearing has been fixed on April 11, the court has directed the authority not to arrest Ibobi.

Ibobi was earlier questioned by the vigilance department at his official quarters at Babupara on April 2 evening in connection with the same case.

The vigilance department also grilled two former LDA project directors and others who were implicated in the case. Ibobi had filed for anticipatory bail before the high court after an FIR was lodged against him and two former project directors on March 27 by the vigilance and anti-corruption department.

Okram Ibobi, who was also the then chairman of the LDA, was charged with cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal misconduct and abusing official position by a public servant.

The two bureaucrats are identified as Ch. Gojendro Singh and Th. Ibobi Singh, formers project directors of the LDA, were charged under section 420/120-B IPC and section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of P.C Act 1988.

The FIR report said stated that the offence was committed by the former chief minister and the bureaucrats between August 2008 to October 2009.

Ibobi served as the chief minister of Manipur for three consecutive terms since 2002 to 2017 March. During this period, the LDA handed over the contract work of cleaning the Loktak Lake worth Rs. 244 crore to K-pro Infra Works Limited in 2009 after tender was floated.

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After four years in June 2014, a report alleged that the K-pro Infra Works Limited was a fake company that only existed on paper.

Similar FIR was lodged against him and five other bureaucrats, including three former chief secretaries of Manipur, on September 2, 2017 for alleged financial irregularities amounting to Rs 186.79 crore in the then Manipur Development Society (MDS). MDS, a state government agency, was responsible for implementation of major government projects.