CBI grills ex-Manipur CM Ibobi Singh for alleged fraud of Rs 332 cr

Both O Ibobi Singh and O Nabakishore Singh have been booked as they held the post of chairman, Manipur Development Society, where the alleged embezzlement of funds took place, officials said

The CBI questioned Congress leader and ex-Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh in Imphal for nearly three hours on Wednesday in connection with alleged misappropriation of Rs 332 crore development funds for the state, officials said.

The probe agency has summoned retired IAS officer O Nabakishore Singh, also a former chairman of Manipur Development Society, for questioning on Thursday, they said.

Both O Ibobi Singh and O Nabakishore Singh have been booked as they held the post of chairman, Manipur Development Society, where the alleged embezzlement of funds took place, they said.

The CBI action came at a time when BJP-led coalition government in the state government has plunged into crisis after nine MLAs withdrew support.

The BJP on Tuesday took four National People's Party (NPP) ministers who resigned from the N Biren Singh-led Manipur government to Delhi for a meeting with central leaders to salvage the situation in the northeastern state, BJP sources said.

 

A CBI team from the agency headquarters here had reached Imphal on Tuesday for questioning the accused based there.

When asked about the timing of the questioning, the agency officials had said it was part of an ongoing investigation in which some persons have already been examined.

The CBI had taken over the case on November 20 last year on the request of the state's BJP government.

It is alleged that Ibobi Singh conspired with others during his tenure as the chairman of the Manipur Development Society (MDS) from June 2009 to July 2017, and misappropriated government funds worth approximately Rs 332 crore, out of Rs 518 crore that was entrusted to them for development works, according to the officials.

Along with Singh, the CBI has also named three former MDS chairmen -- D S Poonia, PC Lawmuknga, O Nabakishore Singh -- all retired IAS officers.

Y Ningthem Singh, the former project director of MDS and S Ranjit Singh, its administrative officer have also been named in the FIR.