Disappointed with the Imphal court’s order stating the release of all accused, Manipur’s Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Thounaojam Brinda returned her medal on Friday that she had been awarded for bursting a multi-crore drug haul in 2018.
The ASP, who was working in conjunction with the NCB, had arrested 7 people in the case, including former BJP ADC chairman Lhukhosei Zou.
Calling it a failure, the Special Court (ND&PS) of Imphal acquitted the accused as it said the prosecution had “totally failed to prove the charges levelled against them.”
In the letter addressed to the Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, Ms Brinda said that the reason for her returning the gallantry award was due to the court’s perception of the drug investigation being “unsatisfactory” in accordance to which, the charges were dropped from the accused and released.
Under the “War against Drugs” initiative of the CM, she had been bestowed with the Chief Minister’s Police Medal for Gallantry on 13th August 2018, the Patriots’ Day.
However, the first officer from the state’s NAB (Narcotics and Affairs of Border Bureau) gave her medal back to the CM with “utter regard for the state department” because of the “the decision reached by the Hon’ble ND&PS Court, Lamphel, which acquitted former Bharatiya Janata Party ADC Chairman Lhukhosei Zou and six other individuals, implicated in the case where huge amounts of drugs were seized.”
Thursday order of the Imphal court brought relief to former chairman Chandel Autonomous District Council, Lhukhosei Zou and other 6 arrested in the case as it said there was no evidence to prove the offence.
In 2018 after Zou’s arrest from his house where crores worth drugs were seized, he was granted bail just 4 days after the filing of charge sheet by the police.
Following this, he absconded from the region and finally surrendered himself in February this year. However, he was again offered bail on May 21st.
When Ms Brinda questioned the local court’s judge for repeatedly granting the bail through a Facebook post, the police officer was summoned as contempt of court charges were pressed on her.
In 2020 July, the officer claimed that there was “piling pressure” on her from them to set Zou free. Ms. Brinda also brought to light the interferences of the CM in the case in attempts to release the ex-BJP member.
Stating the unsatisfied notion of the court in the drugs case, her letter to the CM read, “I feel morally inclined that I have not conducted my duty as “per the wishes” of the Criminal Justice Delivery System of the land. Hence, for the reason cited above, I do not consider myself deserving of the honour bestowed upon me by your good self. I, therefore, return the same to the state Home Department so that it may be given to a more deserving and loyal police officer.”
Now, the court has held 2 other people named Thangminlun Zou and Tung Khan Mung Zou alias Mung alias Aric belonging to Churachandpur and Tengnoupal district respectively in the case, instead of the earlier accused, while charging them under 1985’s NDPS Act. 21st December is the date of hearing for the two convicts.
In June of 2018, the Manipur police arrested 8 people and recovered heroin weighing 4.595 kilos and 2.80 lakh World is Yours (WY) amphetamine tablets, leading to a total worth of close to Rs. 27.79 crore.
