IMPHAL, April 4 NNN: The Extrajudicial Execution Victims’ Families Association, Manipur (EEVFAM) today overjoyed after the six cases of extrajudicial killings in Manipur being probed by a Supreme Court appointed inquiry commission were pronounced to be fake encounters by the apex court.
Hearing of the six cases will begin from April 9.
The Supreme Court has learned that security forces in Manipur commit glut atrocities on the people of the state, said Takhellambam Renu Devi, president, EEVFAM during a press meet at the office of Human Rights Alert (HRA) here Thursday.
She said, “She is glad that the apex court has started to realize the scenes of fake encouters orchestrated by security forces in the state.”
The jubilant leader of EEVFAM further said that she was very happy that now the security forces that have been enjoying impunity for a long time will be punished by law.”
Renu said she also thanks all those witnesses who had given testimonies in the six cases and individuals who helped the inquiry committee.
However, she lamented that though copies of the commission’s report have been given to the Central and state Governments and Home Department, the victims’ families have been denied it.
EEVFAM secretary Nina Ningombam, who was also present at the press meet, said even if everyone knew that these cases were fake encounters, there was trepidation that nothing could be done.
She said, “Though it is late, now there is a hope that justice will be delivered by the Supreme Court.”
A Supreme Court-appointed probe committee has found 6sixencounter killings in the state to be fake.
The apex court had asked retired SC judge Santosh Hegde to probe these encounter killings, including shooting dead of minors on the ground that they are militants.
The committee, comprising former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde, ex-CEC J M Lyngdoh and a senior police officer, has said in its report that the probe showed that none of the victims had any criminal records.
A bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai perused the committee’s report which said none of the six cases qualify as encounters and they are fake.
Guidelines by the apex court in the Naga People’s Movement case , NHRC, Manipur government and Army headquarters have all been confined to papers and none of it is followed on the ground when armed forces conduct operations, the bench said.
Appropriate directions will be passed on the basis of the panel’s report on April 9, it said.
It said the Hegde committee report is distressing and the Union government should be blamed more than the state government for the situation there.
The Supreme Court on January 4 had decided to appoint the committee to hold an inquiry into the alleged fake encounter killings in Manipur.
The panel was set up to probe six cases of alleged extra- judicial killings in the Northeast state where a magisterial inquiry had raised questions on genuineness of the encounters.
The apex court had appointed the panel on a PIL filed by an association of the families of the alleged victims, seeking setting up of a special investigation team and direct inquiry into around 1,528 such cases.
The association had alleged in its plea that over 2,000 odd extra-judicial killings have taken place in the state, but no one has been held guilty till date.
It had alleged that innocent people with no criminal records have been killed by security forces and no proper investigation has been done in such cases.
The court passed its order while responding to a PIL by an association of the families of the alleged victims, pleading with the apex court to set up a special investigation team and direct inquiry into around 1528 such cases.
The Supreme Court-mandated commission sent to Manipur three months ago to investigate six fake encounter cases presented its report to the court on the morning of April 4.
None of the victims, which include a 12-year-old boy, were found to have been involved in militant activities or to have a criminal record.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/eevfam-happy-with-rulings-on-fake-encounters/
