Mark Haokip produced before Court

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 4: Mark Thangmang Haokip was produced before the Court of Special Judge NIA, Imphal West today through Manipur Central Jail Sajiwa in connection with a supplementary charge sheet submitted against by the investigating officer of the case.
Mark Thangmang Haokip (38) s/o Limkhosei Haokip of Molnom village, Churachandpur is the president of an outfit named Government of People’s Democratic Republic of Kukiland.
He was allegedly involved in conspiring for secession from India and to wage or attempting to wage war against the Government of India. He was arrested on May 24, 2022 from Kishangarh, New Delhi.
As Mark Thangmang  Haokip was produced before the Court, he was told that his counsel Samuel Haokip had not appeared before the Court since August 29, 2024 nor had he collected the relevant paper of the supplementary chargesheet against him.
Mark Haokip submitted that he wanted to consult with his family members regarding the appointment of his defence counsel and he might change his present counsel.
On being asked by the Court, whether he is still communicating with his family members, he said that he has not talked with them for some time.
The Court then directed the Superintendent of Manipur Central Jail Sajiwa to permit the accused to interact with his family members or next friend of his choice through telephone or video conferencing in order to enable him to consult them regarding appointment of his defence counsel.
The Court further directed the SP to produce the accused on October 10 before the same Court through video conferencing.
Notably, a supplementary charge sheet was submitted against Mark Thangmang Haokip by the IO of the case in March last year.
Earlier the main charge sheet was submitted against Mark Thangmang Haokip in March last year.
The charge sheet alleged that Mark Thangmang Haokip was actively present in social media and his posts from time to time revealed he was not only anti-Government but also abetted and instigated common people to fight against the Government.
It also alleged that the accused was raising funds from different individuals which were suspected to be used in funding various terrorist activities.
It was also learnt that the group headed by the accused was working toward destabilizing the country which was a threat to the security of the State.
The accused, through his propaganda and instigation, mobilized people to obstruct a plantation programme at Thangjing Hill.
In April, 2022 in defiance of an order issued by the State Government, the accused instigated people and obstructed officers and officials of Forest Department, Art and Culture Department when the Government officials team went to Kanglatongbi-Kangpokpi reserved forest area for surveying/declaring the sacred site of Koubru and Lai Pukhri at Koubru range.
It is further alleged that when the accused was summoned in May 2022, a violent mob stormed the streets and police stations threatening the law and security of the State.
Again on May 25, 2022, members belonging to the group headed by the accused instigated a violent mob in the Kuki dominated areas of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts against his arrest by a team of Manipur Police at New Delhi.
In the violent protest, some police personnel and civilians were injured.
The charge sheet also mentioned that the group headed by the accused owns a website by the domain name www.kukigovt.com to propagate their ideas and hatch conspiracy against the Government.
Many incriminating materials were found from the website including a press release signed by the accused and three other members in the letterhead of Government of People’s Democratic Republic of Kukiland advocating that neighbouring countries must respect the sovereign rights of Kukis and the motto was to establish a Kuki Nation.