In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (October 7, 2025) denied bail to Alemla Jamir, a self-styled “Cabinet Minister” of the Naga insurgent outfit NSCN-IM, in a serious case involving alleged terror funding.
A bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma underscored the gravity of the accusations, stating, “The allegations are very serious, shocks our conscience.” The court expressed its unwillingness to grant bail at this stage, emphasizing that the trial is currently in progress.
The apex court directed the trial court to utilize video conferencing facilities to expedite proceedings and instructed Ms. Jamir to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The matter is scheduled for further review in the second week of January.
This decision aligns with a previous refusal by the Delhi High Court on January 13. The High Court had twice dismissed Ms. Jamir’s bail plea, citing the weight of the allegations, the substantial evidence, and the fact that her husband remains at large.
While acknowledging efforts to accelerate the trial, the High Court had cautioned against compromising the integrity of the legal process, noting, “Justice hurried is justice buried. We also cannot lose sight of the element that quality of evidence that is to be adduced before the trial cannot be compromised.”
The High Court had also assessed Ms. Jamir as a flight risk, given her alleged high-ranking position within the NSCN(IM) and her potential to influence witnesses or tamper with evidence. Consequently, her appeal was dismissed.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) initiated its case against Ms. Jamir following her interception at the Delhi airport on December 17, 2019. She was found attempting to travel to Dimapur with approximately ₹72 lakh in cash, for which she could not provide a legitimate source. This prompted a detailed investigation, including involvement from the income tax department.
During arguments opposing bail, the prosecution asserted that Ms. Jamir, along with other accused individuals, conspired to establish an elaborate network. This network, allegedly operated through the “Naga Army” cadets, was designed to extort money specifically for terror funding.
Conversely, Ms. Jamir argued that the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence to substantiate the grave charges leveled against her.
In its judgment, the High Court highlighted findings from the NIA’s investigation, which depicted the NSCN(IM) as a terrorist organization equipped with sophisticated weaponry and operating a parallel government structure. The court detailed specific allegations against Ms. Jamir, including her involvement in a criminal conspiracy to raise and collect substantial funds from businessmen in Dimapur. This allegedly involved creating a “systematic mechanism for collecting extortion money for the NSCN(IM), for which she had opened, as many as 20 bank accounts, some in fictitious names also.”
The High Court concluded that Ms. Jamir and her co-conspirators acted surreptitiously to obscure any trace of their extensive extortion activities, which were aimed at financing the NSCN(IM)’s terror operations.