IMPHAL: The All Manipur Bar Association (AMBA) has clarified that none of the lawyers practising under it in the state have been approached to appear on behalf of road rage victim, the late Irom Roger, by Supreme Court lawyer Utsav Singh Bains or the victim's family.Roger was allegedly shot dead by Nongthombam Ajay Meetei , son of chief minister N Biren Singh , in a road rage incident in the city in March 2011. Following a trial, a city court on January 20 this year sentenced Ajay to five years imprisonment and currently he is in jail.Bains had alleged that he received threatening calls from militants asking him not to go ahead with the case. He claimed that lawyers at Manipur High court, when contacted, refused to appear on behalf of Roger's family as they feared for their lives.In a letter to Union home secretary, Bains said he was engaged as a lawyer by Roger's family for filing an appeal in the Manipur High court and a petition in the Supreme Court. He had visited the city from March 17 to 19 for the case and following his return, he received calls on his WhatsApp number on March 22 from a person saying that he was calling from on behalf of underground outfits PLA and NSCIM and that he should not go ahead with the case.AMBA, in a statement, said, "none of the lawyers enrolled with the association and practising in Manipur have been approached by any family members of Irom Roger or Utsav Bains to represent the victim's family in the appeal filed by Ajay, pending before Manipur high court."The statement termed Bains' allegations pertaining to refusal of local lawyers for fear of their lives as 'highly unfounded'.Taking serious note of Bains' allegations, Manipur police have begun a probe to establish its veracity. If necessary, the case would be referred to the National Investigating Agency (NIA), considering the alleged involvement of militants, said principal secretary (Home) J Suresh Babu. Arrangements have also been made to provide security for Bains when he visits the city to present the case in Manipur high court.

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