CBI searches premises of former Manipur CM

The CBI on Friday conducted searches at nine locations in Aizwal, Imphal and Gurgaon after registering a case against former Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and others for allegedly misappropriating Rs 332 crore from development funds in Manipur.

CBI officials said the investigators have seized Rs 11.47 lakh in cash and Rs 36.49 lakh in old demonetised currency from Singh's residence. Holding demonetised currency is a crime and could lead to a penalty of five times the recovered currency.

Eight luxury cars of Audi, Mitsibushi, Honda and Hyundai were also found during the searches at Singh's residence, they said.

Besides this, documents related to various properties including plots, houses, flats, shops, luxury cars as well as details of various bank accounts were recovered during the searches at the premises of Singh and former IAS officers who were part of the Manipur Development Society.

It is alleged that Singh, the then chairman of the Manipur Development Society (MDS), during his tenure from June 30, 2009 to 6 July, 2017 in conspiracy with others, misappropriated government funds to the tune of Rs 332 crore out of the total amount of Rs 518 crore which was entrusted to them for the purpose of executing development work, a CBI spokesperson said.

The CBI has also named three former MDS chairmen -- D S Poonia, P C Lawmuknga, O Nabakishore Singh -- all retired IAS officers in the case registered on November 20.

Others named in the FIR are Y Ningthem Singh, former project director of the society and S Ranjit Singh, its administrative officer.

The CBI also recovered Rs 10 lakh of demonetised currency from Ningthem Singh and documents of two houses in Imphal. It also recovered property and bank documents from residence of Poonia, Lawmkunga and Nabakishore.