Imphal, Jan 6: Nongthombam Ajay Singh, son of a former Manipur Minister and presently spokesperson BJP Manipur Pradesh, N Biren Singh, was convicted in the sensational Irom Roger Singh murder case by the trial court in its judgment on Friday.
District & Sessions Judge, Imphal West, Maibam Manojkumar Singh announced the verdict in a packed courtroom. The court will fix the quantum of punishment on January 11.
The six-year-old murder case of the teenage boy was taken up by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the then State Cabinet took the decision on handing over the sensational murder case to the Central investigating agency.
Ajay Singh was convicted under Section 304 Part II of IPC and Section 27 of Arms Act. The court remanded him to judicial custody following announcement of the judgment.
The former irrigation and flood control minister’s son Ajay, then 27, shot at Roger with his licensed pistol at Ghari, along Imphal Airport road, on March 20. Ajay and four of his friends were arrested the same day.
According to police, Ajay’s car overtook the one in which Irom was travelling with his friends. When Roger’s car overtook Ajay’s, the ex-minister’s son, apparently angered by the action, fired from his pistol, hitting Roger in the neck.
Immediately after the incident, Biren Singh took his son to Imphal police station and handed him over to the police.
The Okram Ibobi Singh government handed over the case to the CBI, which named Ajay as the primary suspect in the chargesheet.
The four other accused, who were travelling with Ajay, were discharged from the case in May 2012 by an Imphal court.
The incident triggered widespread agitation by political parties and citizen organisations, forcing the Ibobi Singh government to hand over the case to the CBI.
In the 2012 Assembly elections, the Congress retained power and Ibobi Singh kept the chief minister’s post. However, Biren Singh was not inducted in the council of ministers and later he became a strong critic of Ibobi Singh and finally joined the BJP in October last year.
Roger’s relatives tried to attack Ajay when the police were taking him out of the court after the conviction. The cops foiled the attempt and soon a scuffle broke out between Irom’s relatives and Ajay’s family friends inside the court complex.
Irom’s father I. Lokendro hailed the judgment. “We are still mourning the death of our beloved son. However, we are consoled to some extent that justice has been done in case,” the father said.
