After Protests, 5 Men Arrested Under Stringent Law Get Bail In Manipur

The men were found wearing the camouflage uniforms used by security forces and also possessed sophisticated weapons, including INSAS rifles.

In a rare occurrence, bail has been given to five men in Manipur despite them being charged under sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The bail order comes after the state's capital, Imphal, saw nearly a week of protests and shutdowns over their arrest.

Granting conditional bail to the men, one of whom is a former cadre of the banned insurgent outfit People's Liberation Army of Manipur, the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court observed that the investigating officer could not provide strong prima facie evidence of the accused being involved in terror activities. The court also took note of the protests being held for the unconditional release of the accused. 

The five men were arrested on September 16 after they were found driving an SUV in a suspicious manner. A check revealed that they were wearing the camouflage uniforms used by security forces and had several sophisticated weapons on them, including INSAS, SLR and .303 rifles. Several rounds of ammunition were also recovered from the car.