Newmai News Network
Aizawl | June 9
All 14 accused arrested in connection with the sensational robbery case of 52 smuggled gold bars worth Rs 14.5 crore were released on bail.
Aizawl Chief Judicial Magsitrate (CJM) on Thursday granted interim bail to 8 Assam Rifles Jawans accused in the robbery case and one civilian for 60 days.
Earlier on May 30, the suspended Commandant of the Aizawl-based 39th Assam Rifles Col Jasjit Singh, one of the prime accused in the smuggled gold robbery case, was released on bail by a local court on medical ground. Two other civilians – former student leader Lalmuanawma Mathipi and Aizawl-based businessman Bulaki Chand Baid – were also released on bail on May 13.
Police have arrested 10 AR jawans including suspended commandant Col. Jasjit Singh and four other civilians in connection with highway dacoity allegedly committed by personnel of Assam Rifles in the outskirts of Aizawl city on December 14 last year.
The incident came to light on April 21 when Lalnunfela, the driver of the vehicle which the AR personnel waylaid on December 14 last year, filed an FIR at the Kulikawn police station alleging his vehicle was robbed by armed personnel from the 39 AR in the southern outskirts of Aizawl city. He said the men who stopped his car, refused to identify themselves and searched the car. He and his two companions were made to wait outside. He alleged that the AR personnel decamped with 52 gold bars worth around Rs.14.5 crore, a mobile phone and Rs.75,000 in cash.
The complainant said that he filed complaint almost four months after the incident because he was threatened by the robbers at gun point and was asked to keep his mouth shut.
The Mizoram government has meanwhile decided to hand over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation for faster probe. Citing the reasons for its willingness to hand over the case to the CBI, Home Minister R Lalzirliana at a press conference earlier this week said that the case has national as well as international implications as gold smuggling racket was at the root-cause of the dacoity.
He said that lack of modern scientific technology and equipment were also impediments to the investigation as the state police does not have a polygraph or lie-detector machine.
However, Lalzirliana maintained that the handing over of the case to the CBI does not imply the state police’s inability to handle the case. The state police will continue to investigate the dacoity case and help the central investigating agency in the process, he informed.
