Murder of Chaoba Devi Mob attacks accused outside Courtroom

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jan 8: A mob of incensed folks tried to attack two murder accused when they were being escorted out of a Courtroom today.
The two accused, Shamurailatpam Kananbala and Moirangthem Dhanajit were produced before the Lamphel Court in connection with the murder of Khaidem ongbi Chaoba Devi.
According to confessions of the accused persons, Chaoba was murdered on December 26, 2025. Her lifeless body was found the next morning at Thiyam Leishangkhong near Ibu-dhou Pakhangba Temple.
Today, the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class Imphal West-I remanded the two accused persons to judicial custody till January 22.
After the hearing, the two accused were being escorted by security personnel when an angry crowd of people tried to attack them.
During the scuffle, accused Moirangthem Dhanjit fled from the Court building and snuck inside a bullet proof police vehicle of the security personnel.
The angry crowd managed to hold Shamu- railatpam Kananbala inside the Court building.
A scuffle broke out between the mob and the security personnel, who later managed to free the accused and take her outside the Court complex and into a vehicle.
Shamurailatpam Kanan-bala (41) of Yairipok Bishnunaha Mayai Leikai, and Moirangthem Dhanjit (29) of Nongpok Keithel-manbi Awang Leikai are the main accused persons in the murder case.
They were produced before the Court by Wangoi police.
Kananbala has confessed to murdering Khaidem ongbi Chaoba with the help of her boyfriend M Dhanajit.
Earlier during the hearing in the Court, the Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) for the State submitted that during interrogation, accused Shamurailatpam Kananbala admitted that she had love affairs with co-accused Moirangthem Dhanajit and Khaidem Nareshor, the husband of the deceased woman, who has also been named as a suspect in the case.
The prosecutor said Kananbala disclosed that she had an emotional attachment with the victim's husband, Khaidem Nareshor.
The prosecutor said Kananbala also got the phone number of the victim's mother-in-law Khaidem ongbi Indira from Nareshor. She used the phone number to call out the victim from her home to be killed.
According to the prosecutor, Kananbala confessed she had physical relationships with Nareshor many times, and they had a plan to live as husband and wife.
And, Nareshor's wife Chaoba (now deceased) often insulted and threatened her.
Following complaints by Chaoba, she was physically tortured as punishment by some locals of Yairipok, Kananbala revealed, according to the prosecutor.
Kananbala has confessed to killing Chaoba on the night of December 26, 2025, said the prosecutor.
Kananbala along with Moirangthem Dhanajit strangulated Chaoba to death, said the prosecutor.
Further, during interrogation, Moirangthem Dhanajit has admitted to having an affair with Kananbala since 2024. According to his confession, Kananbala made the plan to kill Chaoba, the prosecutor said.
Dhanajit borrowed an Activa moped from one of his friends, and the two proceeded with the plan to kill Chaoba on December 26, 2025.
Dhanajit contacted the victim's mother-in-law, Khaidem ongbi Indira over phone, and through her, called out Chaoba from her house. Dhanajit and Kananbala then killed Chaoba, said the prosecutor.
The prosecutor submitted to the Court that the police have recovered the mobile phone of Dhanajit and the two-wheeler vehicle used in the commission of the crime.
The Court, after hearing the submission of APP and on perusal of the case record, remanded both the accused, Kananbala and Dhanajit, to judicial custody till January 22 for smooth investigation of the case.
It may be mentioned that the same Court on January 5 had remanded Chaoba's husband Nareshor and mother-in-law, Khaidem ongbi Indira to judicial custody.
Angry locals had destroyed the houses of the four accused persons arrested in connection with the case.