Bank robber remanded

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 29: Naorem Rome (46) s/o (late) Gourahari of Kakching Sumak Leikai Keithel Macha Pareng who was arrested for bank robbery has been remanded in judicial custody till November 12.    
After completion of the police custody period, Naorem Rome was produced before the Court of CJM Thoubal today by a team of Kakching police station with a prayer to remand him to judicial custody.  
The APP submitted that during police interrogation the accused revealed he was enrolled in Indian Air Force as Airmen and then promoted to SGT before taking voluntary retirement in 2014.
Rome admitted that he had given off Rs 3,10,000 to one Ksh Borish (26) s/o Bormani and deposited Rs 2 lakh in his Axis bank account.
Subsequently, Ksh Borish was examined and he stated that Rome gave him Rs 3,10,100 but he was not aware of the source of the money and added that he had given off the same amount to his elder sister.
It is said that out of the total amount of Rs 6,49,920  looted from UCO Bank, Kakching Branch by Naorem Rome, Rs 3,04,500 has been recovered.  
On interrogation, the accused stated that he was into online trading and invested a huge sum of money in ponzi scheme, resulting in a huge debt.
Subsequently, he borrowed huge sums of money from different individuals.
After looting the bank, he again invested a portion of the amount into online trading while another portion was used in paying off debt.
Following his disclosure, a total amount of Rs 1,07,050 was also recovered from five different individuals, the APP submitted at the Court.
The five individuals from whom the amount was recovered were also examined and they stated that they were not aware of the source of the money. They only accepted the money repaid by Rome as he owed them the money.
The APP also submitted that at the present stage of investigation, a total of Rs 4,61,500 out of total Rs 6,49,920 looted from UCO Bank Kakching have been recovered while the remaining Rs 1,88,420 appear to have been used in online trading and is unlikely to be recovered.
The APP also submitted that hectic efforts are being made to recover the small firearm used by Rome in robbing the bank.
The Court, after hearing the submission of the APP and on perusal of material on record, remanded the accused in judicial custody till November 12.