Exposing shoot-out killings
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: March 09, 2013 -
It may be too early to say anything conclusive on the proceedings of the three-member independent Inquiry Commission appointed by the Supreme Court of India to probe into six different cases of extra-judicial killings that took place in Manipur.
The proceedings of the Commission at Imphal may have been wrapped up after five days' of intense questioning and cross-examination of all the witnesses from the side of the petitioners in the six cases under probe as well as that of respondent witnesses of Manipur police in four cases, but cross-examination of eight respondent witnesses from the side of the Assam Rifles still awaits to be done when the Commission resumes its proceedings at New Delhi on March 12.
Leaving aside the question of whether or not justice would be ultimately ensured to all the seven alleged victims of extra-judicial killings in six different cases randomly picked up by the Supreme Court to verify the claim of thousands of such other cases in Manipur that have taken place in last 30 years, the manner in which the three-member independent commission headed by the former Supreme Court Judge Santosh Hegde, former Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh and former Karnataka police chief Ajay Kumar Singh has handled the probe giving sleepless nights to the respondents must have surely given a ray of hope not just to the family members of the seven alleged victims but also to many others who are knocking at the door of law courts.
Looking back, it is interesting to note how the Commission members and the counsel of the petitioners went hammer and tongs in cross-examining the respondents of Manipur police, thereby exposing utter lack of knowledge on the law books within which the police, more particularly the Commandos have to function and perform their duties.
The second and the third day of the proceedings which remained dominated with the issue over one Inspector visiting the house of a petitioner to intimidate the family members amply spoke about the seriousness of the offences that could be committed by unschooled police personnel in Manipur.
The Commission may have subsequently pardoned the 'wayward' Inspector but not before giving a serious warning against repeating such acts in future and a piece of advice that such 'politics' would not bring any peace and normalcy in Manipur.
The effort of the Counsel of Manipur Police who cited various reasons for the Inspector to enter the house of the petitioner was also fired back when the Commission told the Counsel to remain silent on the matter, because there can't be too many reasons here.
Another interesting 'shocking' exposure was the 'lady in uniform', who despite being in the rank of an SP does not have any idea about the term 'The Notified Area' and the frequent changes she had to make in her statement much to the amusement of everyone present.
But the ultimate laughing-stock, of course, was the IO of a case who was left speechless, when the Commission asked him "how many times have you signed on blank inquest forms during the course of your service?"
We dare say, all these have simply shown that there is more to the 'official version of shoot-out killings in Manipur' than meet the eyes of newspaper readers.
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