SC hearing on fake encounter case soon
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 15 2014 :
The hearing on the fake encounter cases in Manipur is likely to begin in the Supreme Court after disposal of cases pending at the apex court's Constitutional Bench, said Extra-judicial Execution Victim Families' association Manipur (EEVFAM) president Renu.
Speaking to newspersons at the Kwakeithel office of Human Rights Alert today, Renu, the petitioner in the fake encounter case, said counsel of the petitioner had urged the Supreme Court to set a date for the final argument when the last hearing was conducted by the Court's Division Bench on February 7 this year.
consequent to the appeal the apex court issued an order that the hearing could be possible only after disposal of the cases pending in the Constitutional Bench and tentatively scheduled the hearing when the court session resumes after the summer break, narrated the petitioner.
The fake encounter case relates to different incidents of 1528 stage-managed killings involving Manipur police commandos and Assam Rifles troops with EEVFAM apprising the apex court to order a thorough investigation on the matter.
As follow-up action, the SC instituted an enquiry commission with Justice (Retd) Santosh Hedge of the Supreme Court heading the three-member panel.
Subsequent investigation by the panel members in April 2013 had listed six particular cases, that claimed the lives of seven, as fake encounters with conclusion that the victims had no criminal records.
based on the Commission's findings founder director of Human Rights Law Network advocate Colin Gonsalves took up the matter in the Supreme Court on behalf of the petitioner.
On the otherhand, Renu conveyed to the mediapersons that EEVFAM members and supporters observed two minutes of silence to mourn the sudden demise of Mukul Sinha, who was the counsel for the petitioner related to legal matters of the SC-formed enquiry commission.
Mukul is said to have passed away on May 12 aged 63.Renu said Mukul volunteered to fight EEVFAM's cause without any legal fee even with EEVFAM's expenditure on the legal practitioner limited to travel and accommodation charges.
She also conveyed solidarity to the bereaved family of Mukul Sinha, who hailed from Bilaspur of Chhattisgarh State.