Satish killing case: Fake encounter charge fells five commandos
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 09 2009: Following the hue and cry as well as the growing accusation that Lourembam Satish of Singjamei Oinam Thingel was killed by security forces in a fake encounter, the State Government has suspended five police commandos from service.

Lourembam Satish and his friend P Gunindro were allegedly picked up by a team of security forces from near Sajiwa jail on May 16 and Satish was allegedly killed in a fake encounter on May 18 at Laikoiching.

A bandh in force against the killing of Satish (File photo)

Official sources today said that of the five suspended police commandos attached to Thoubal police, three belong to the 3rd IRB and while one each were drawn from 4th IRB and 7th IRB.

An official notification announcing the suspension of the five police commandos was issued by the State Police Headquarters a few days back and an inquiry has been initiated against them.

The inquiry committee is headed by IGP (LO-II) M Karnajit Singh, said sources and added that the proceedings have started at the Police Headquarters here.

Earlier the police had claimed that Satish was gunned down in an encounter with a combined team of Thoubal police commandos and Assam Rifles troops.

On May 19, a day after Satish was killed, the Assam Rifles handed over Gunindro to the police on the charge that he was a PLA cadre and that he was arrested from Laikoiching.

The Joint Action Committee which was formed to spearhead the agitation against the killing of Satish has however said that the suspension of the five cops will not dilute the anger of the people against the excesses of the security personnel.

In a statement issued to the press today, the JAC said that this is not the first time that security personnel have been suspended for excesses and reminded all that in the past all suspended personnel were without fail reinstated.

The JAC said that the officer who oversaw the killing of Satish too should be penalised and demanded a Judicial Inquiry to get to the bottom of the matter.

Father of Satish, L Sharat, a former MLA, on June 3 submitted a memorandum to Governor Gurbachan Jagat urging him to order a Judicial Inquiry so that guilty may be penalised.

Maintaining that Satish was an innocent man and that he was killed in a fake encounter, the bereaved father told the Governor that such fake encounters are practised by the State Government to cover up the excesses of the security personnel.

The influential United Committee Manipur has termed the incident as another case of State excesses.