Supreme Court suspends life sentence of Naga militant in 2009 triple murder case

The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the life sentence of Hopeson Ningshen, a self styled lieutenant colonel in the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak Muivah), who was convicted for the 2009 abduction and killing of three government officials in Manipur. A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and P B Varale granted the suspension because Ningshen has spent more than 17 years in custody while his appeal against the conviction awaits a final hearing. The court directed that Ningshen must remain within the boundaries of Delhi and not leave the city until the appeal is decided.

Ningshen was convicted for the kidnapping and murder of Dr Thingnam Kishan Singh, Kasom Khullen Sub Divisional Officer, Y Token Singh, and A Rajen Sarma. A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2014 and imposed a fine of 35,000 rupees for the theft of the victims' belongings. The Delhi High Court upheld the sentence in 2019, stating that the nature of the offense meant the appellant deserved no leniency.

The CBI reported that the victims' bodies were recovered from the banks of the Tuphau Kuki River. According to one report, the militants released three other abducted individuals who belonged to the Naga community. The killings caused communal and ethnic tensions in Manipur, leading to a series of bandhs. Due to the sensitivity of the case and threats to the accused, the proceedings were transferred from Manipur to Delhi in 2010.