High Court of Meghalaya granted conditional bail to accused involved in 2022’s Police Bazaar Bomb Blast case

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 19, 2024

The High Court of Meghalaya has granted a conditional bail to Wallam Jingsuk Barim, who is one of the accused in the Police Bazar, Shillong that occurred on January 30, 2022.

The bail order was passed by the High Court on Tuesday during the trial of Crl.A. No. 34 of 2024 between Jingsuk Barim versus the Union of India and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

According to the Court’s judgement, Jingsuk Barim is directed to be released on bail, if not wanted in other case(s) on his subscribing to comply with the four conditions set by the Court.

Barim will not abscond or tamper with the witnesses and secondly he will not leave the jurisdiction of this State without the prior permission of the Trial Court. He shall appear in court as and when required; and he shall bind himself on a personal bond of 50,000/- (Rupees fifty thousand) with two sureties of like amount to the satisfaction of the Trial Court.

Flipping the pages of history, on January 30, 2022 a bomb blast occurred at Police Bazaar, Shillong resulting in damage to entrance steps, walls, glass panes and signage of one store owned by Larsing Lalhming Dey Sawain, Managing Director, Centre Point Group Enterprise. Shillong.

Meghalaya police registered a police case bearing Sadar P.S Case No. 27 (01) 2022, under Section 427 IPC read with Section 5 of the Explosive Substance Act, 1908 on the basis of the FIR lodged by Sawian.

In view of the nature of the incident and the parties involved, the National Investigation Agency was directed to take over the investigation of the case and the case was re-registered as NIA Case No. RC-07/2022/NIA-DLI under Section 120B/435/436 IPC read with Section 6 of the Explosive Substance Act, 1908 and Section 10(b)(ii) and 13(1) & 13(2) of the UA(P) Act, 1967.

During the course of investigation, 9(nine) accused persons were apprehended including 3(three) Children in Conflict with Law(CCL) and thereafter, a charge sheet was filed on 29.07.2022. The case proceeding in the Court of the Special Judge (NIA), Shillong is at the stage of recording evidence of the prosecution witnesses.

Jingsuk Barim was implicated as an accused in the said Spl (NIA) Case No. 1 of 2022 and according to the charge sheet, he was charged under Section 120B IPC read with Section 6 of the Explosive Substance Act, 1908. Since his arrest, he has been in custody for about 2 years and 4 months or so.

Jingsuk Barim was requested by David Nongkseh who is one of the main accused to get him some explosive materials after which he contacted his friend Dalios Malieh another accused in the case to procure the same.

Dalios Malieh who has some gelatine sticks with him in turn procured the fuse wires and detonators from one Tyngshiangborlang Rani another accused in the case.

Dalios Malieh and Tyngshainborlang Rani were also arrested and named in the charge sheet and the charges against them was also the same as that of the appellant, that is, under Section 120B IPC read with Section 6 of the Explosive Substance Act, 1908.

Barim has filed as many as five bail applications seeking enlargement on bail, however, the Trial Court has rejected all such applications.

The Counsel representing Jingsuk Barim argued that he is a young person studying in college and having been in custody for about two and a half year, also coming from a poor family, his further incarceration would hamper his future and, if enlarged on bail, he will abide by any conditions to be imposed by this Court.