
The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected the bail appeal of Nagaland-Isaac Muivah (NSCN-IM) leader Alemla Jamir, upholding the trial court’s earlier decision.
Jamir challenged the order denying her bail in a National Investigation Agency (NIA) case. The division bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur dismissed her appeal, with the detailed order yet to be uploaded.
Jamir’s bail plea had been reserved by the court in November 2024. This appeal followed the dismissal of her second bail application by the Special NIA Court on May 31, 2024. Advocate Kartik Venu represented Jamir during the proceedings.
The second bail plea was filed after the Delhi High Court, on December 14, 2023, granted her the liberty to approach the trial court again. Notably, Jamir had earlier withdrawn an appeal against her first bail dismissal on the same day. Her initial bail application had been rejected on December 12, 2022, prompting her to move the High Court in July 2023.
In its order rejecting Jamir’s first bail plea, the Special NIA Court highlighted the existence of evidence indicating the operation of a parallel government by NSCN-IM, which had not been acknowledged in any peace accord. The court concluded that the accusations against Jamir were credible, citing her involvement in transferring large sums of money to fund terrorist activities.
The transfer was allegedly orchestrated by absconding accused Phungthing Shimrang, currently believed to be in China.
Additionally, arms and ammunition were reportedly recovered following Jamir’s arrest.
The court expressed concern that Jamir’s husband is also absconding in China, raising fears of her fleeing and influencing local witnesses. Consequently, the special court found no grounds for granting bail on December 12, 2022. Earlier, Jamir’s default bail plea had been dismissed on July 3, 2020, with her subsequent appeal also rejected by the Delhi High Court on May 1, 2023.
Jamir was detained at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on December 17, 2019, carrying Rs. 72 lakh in cash, for which she failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the source. The NIA arrested her on charges of terror funding under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The investigation revealed that the seized funds were intended for financing NSCN-IM’s operations and other terrorist activities in India.
The NIA filed a charge sheet, and the case is currently at the evidence stage. Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a money laundering case against Jamir under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Charges have been framed in the money laundering case, and it too is in the evidence phase.
The case underscores concerns regarding terror financing and the involvement of separatist groups in unlawful activities. With Jamir’s appeal now dismissed, the focus remains on the ongoing proceedings and the evidence yet to be presented in court.