Pursuing fake killers
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 27, 2014 -
In a significant development that is bound to add more intensify to the struggle of anti-AFSPA crusader Irom Chanu Sharmila and the cry for justice of thousands of victims’ families in Manipur, a division bench of High Court of Manipur on Tuesday awarded rupees three lakhs and fifty thousands each as compensation to the mothers of Yumnam Robita of Waiton Makha Leikai and Asem Romajit Singh of Khundrakpam Mayai Leikai, who were killed in indiscriminate firing by enraged CRPF personnel on April 9, 2002 after their convoy was attacked by some armed underground cadres at Pangei Bazar under Imphal East district.
Passing its judgment on two writ petitions filed by the two bereaved mothers, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Laxmi Kanta Mohapatra and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh directed that the compensation amount be paid within 3 months by the Union of India including CRPF authority and observed that the compensation has been awarded under public law domain for established infringement of fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
Of course, the judgement of the High Court was based on an inquiry report earlier conducted by District Judge, Manipur East which established that the two individuals were indeed victims of revenge killings carried out by CRPF personnel under the cover of Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
With human lives more valuable than anything else, it is not the monetary compensation that has been awarded by the court that is important here but that sense of justice which seems to have been done to the innocent victims and their bereaved family members at long last by fixing the responsibility for the killings.
Whether the authority of CRPF would appeal against the judgement of the High Court of Manipur in the Supreme Court or not is not yet known, but this latest court judgement of pursuing the fake killers would surely help not only in instilling the faith of the people in the judiciary but also instilling some amount of fear in the minds of the uniformed personnel from misusing the ‘extraordinary powers’ given to them under Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
The Act may have been implemented out of necessity, but its abuse by uniformed personnel who have started living under the impression that they could do away with anything without necessary sanctions from the Government of India for being prosecuted has become really worrisome and this is all about what Irom Chanu Sharmila has been on a fast for nearly 14 years.
Failure of the Government of India, and more particularly that of the Government of Manipur to see this point is simply unfortunate, to say the least.
On the other hand, although we really appreciate the judgement of High Court as it would help in instilling the losing faith of the people in the judiciary, why it has taken such a long time in delivering the justice to the bereaved family members despite the fact that inquiry report had been submitted way back in May 2012 is question.
Was it mere coincidence that the judgement of the High Court of Manipur has come closed behind after the State Government was compelled to reveal the contents of the various inquiries conducted into cases of fake encounter killings in the State following recent intervention by the Supreme Court?
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