Manipur court holds ex-minister's son guilty of murder

A sessions court on Friday pronounced Nongthombam Ajay, the son of former Congress minister and currently BJP leader N. Biren, guilty of the murder of a youth Irom Roger on March 21, 2011.

District and Sessions judge M. Manoj had earlier reserved his order in the case. The quantum of sentence will be announced on January 11.

After the court pronouncement, Ajay was sent to jail. He was out on bail in the case.

Armed policemen and prison staff had a tough time protecting Ajay in the court complex as dozens of persons rushed to beat him as soon as he was whisked away from the court room.

Biren was a powerful Congress minister when the murder was committed near the Tulihal international airport.

Two groups of youths were involved in a road rage case. In the subsequent firing, Roger, a Class 12 student in Bengaluru in Karnataka, was fatally shot.

Following public pressure, Ajay and four other youths surrendered before the police along with the loaded murder weapon and a jeep in which they were travelling at the time of the crime. The CBI took over the case on May 9, 2011.

Biren had resigned from the Congress and the assembly to join the BJP. He is now acting as the BJP spokesperson in Manipur.

--IANS

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