A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh stated that the high court’s directive was unnecessary and relieved the CBI of this responsibility.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday (5th Dec) set aside a Manipur High Court order that had directed the CBI to locate and present a fugitive rape convict.
A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh stated that the high court’s directive was unnecessary and relieved the CBI of this responsibility.
“We believe the CBI’s request is valid, especially since the state has already formed a special team to track the convict. Therefore, the high court’s direction to the CBI is unnecessary and is hereby set aside. However, the state must make every effort to locate the convict,”
the bench observed.
The CBI challenged the Manipur High Court’s October 4, 2023 order, arguing before the Supreme Court that the Manipur police were already handling the case and involving the CBI would duplicate efforts.
The CBI informed the high court that complying with the directive would be challenging, but its concerns were dismissed. On January 10, the high court reiterated its order, directing the CBI to locate the fugitive convict within eight weeks.
Timothy L. Changsang, administrator of the North Eastern Children Home in Rengkai village, Churachandpur, was convicted by Special POCSO Judge Maibam Manojkumar on April 30, 2019, under Sections 6 and 10 of the POCSO Act and Section 506 of the IPC. A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against him.
Timothy was accused of raping 14 minor girls over a two-year period starting in 2012 at the children’s home he managed. The case came to light in February 2015 when one of the minor girls filed a complaint with the police.
