UAPA case: SC grants bail to Moirangthem Anand Singh after 2.5 years

The Supreme Court granted bail to Moirangthem Anand Singh, arrested in a UAPA case, after over 2.5 years in custody. The bench overturned a Delhi HC order, citing long incarceration, an uncommenced trial, and bail for the co-accused.

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of Moirangthem Anand Singh on bail, setting aside the earlier refusal by the Delhi High Court. Singh, arrested by the NIA in connection with a UAPA case linked to an alleged transnational conspiracy involving Myanmar-based terror outfits, had been in custody for over two years and six months. Advocates David Ahongsangbam, Rahul Kumar and Gunedhor Singh appeared for the accused before the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court Cites Long Incarceration for Bail

The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta observed that the long period of incarceration, the fact that the trial had not yet commenced, and the grant of bail to the co-accused justified extending bail to Singh. The Court directed that he be released on terms to be fixed by the Trial Court, and permitted the State or the Trial Court to seek recall of the order if Singh is found to be delaying the proceedings.

High Court Had Cited National Security Concerns

The Delhi High Court had earlier, on April 2, 2025, denied bail to Singh. The High Court had described the allegations against him as "serious, involving offences with far-reaching implications for public order and national security."

Details of the Allegations and Arrest

Singh was alleged to be an operative of the banned organisation People's Liberation Army (PLA), accused of participating in a conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India by leveraging the ethnic unrest in Manipur.

Singh was first arrested in September 2023 by the Manipur Police, along with four others, while travelling in a vehicle bearing police camouflage. According to the police, they were found carrying sophisticated arms and ammunition, including an INSAS rifle with four magazines (78 live rounds), an SLR rifle with three magazines (50 live rounds), and two .303 rifles with magazines holding five live rounds each. The weapons were identified as part of the cache looted from government armouries during the outbreak of ethnic conflict in the State. (ANI)

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