NEW DELHI, Dec 11: The Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to Moirangthem Anand Singh, accused of conspiring with Myanmar-based insurgent groups and attempting to exploit Manipur’s ethnic unrest to wage war against India. The court cited his prolonged incarceration of over two-and-a-half years and the lack of progress in the trial as primary reasons for relief.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed that continued detention without meaningful advancement in proceedings violated the principles of justice, especially when co-accused in the same case had already been granted bail. The judges said they were “inclined to grant bail” given the extended custody and ongoing delays, overturning an earlier order of the Delhi High Court that had rejected Singh’s plea.
Singh was arrested in September 2023 after police intercepted a vehicle carrying him and four others in Manipur. Authorities alleged the group was in possession of weapons—some suspected to be looted from a police armoury—and was dressed in camouflage attire. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had described the case as part of a larger “transnational conspiracy” involving insurgent groups based across the Myanmar border.
While granting bail, the Supreme Court directed Singh to strictly follow the conditions that will be laid down by the trial court. It added that the bail order could be reviewed if Singh is found to be delaying proceedings.
The NIA opposed the bail, citing the gravity of the offences. Singh’s defence argued that the conspiracy charges lacked substantive evidence and stressed that the prolonged detention amounted to punishment without trial.
