The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the life sentence of Hopeson Nignshen, a self‑styled lieutenant of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN–M), after a 17‑year incarceration for the abduction and murder of three Manipur government officials in February 2009.
Justice M. M. Sundresh and Justice P. B. Varale, who heard the case, granted the suspension on the condition that Nignshen remain within Delhi’s boundaries and not leave until his appeal is decided. The bench noted that the appellant’s appeal was still pending.
The Manipur government’s counsel opposed the plea. The Delhi High Court had earlier upheld the trial court’s conviction of Nignshen for kidnapping and killing Dr. Thingnam Kishan Singh and two aides, sentencing him to life imprisonment. The 2014 trial court had also fined him Rs 35,000 for looting the victims’ belongings.
The case was transferred to Delhi in May 2010 after the CBI cited a threat to Nignshen’s life and potential unrest if tried in Manipur. According to the CBI, the militants abducted Singh and five staff members on 13 February 2009, released three Naga community members the next day, and killed the remaining three, whose bodies were found near the Taphao Kuki river. The killings sparked ethnic tensions between Meitei and Naga communities and led to widespread bandhs in the state.
