Imphal: A Manipur local court on Wednesday sent three persons to six days’ police custody for allegedly impersonating Jay Shah, son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and seeking money from a Manipur BJP MLA by promising to make him the Chief Minister after the resignation of N. Biren Singh.
A police official said that a team of Manipur Police last week went to Uttarakhand and arrested Priyanshu Pant, Uvaish Ahmed and Gaurav Nath, all 19-years-old, from a jail in that state.
The cops brought the three youths to Imphal on Tuesday and produced them in the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court on Wednesday, seeking seven days’ police custody.
CJM Ashem Tarunakumari Devi after hearing the police petition sent the three accused to six-day police custody.
The official said that on February 15, BJP MLA Kongkham Robindro Singh lodged a written complaint in Imphal police station stating that amid the turmoil and political uncertainty in Manipur, his cousin brother Kongkham Basu Singh received a call on February 14 from a person, who introduced himself as Jay Shah.
The caller sought Rs 4 crore for inducting him (Kongkham Robindro Singh) as Chief Minister of the state, the complaint stated.
Police then registered a case under the appropriate provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and started an investigation.
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13, four days after the resignation of N Biren Singh from the CM’s post.
The 60-member Manipur Assembly, which after the promulgation of President’s Rule has been put under suspended animation, has a tenure till 2027.
Meanwhile, the three accused were in Uttarakhand jail after they were accused of crimes of a similar nature involving fraudulent calls to MLAs of that state.
Of the three detainees, Uvaish Ahmed is a resident of Etah District of Uttar Pradesh, while Priyanshu Pant and Gaurav Nath are residents of Ghazipur in East Delhi.
(IANS)
