Supreme Court hearing on the EEVFAM case :: 02 July 2018

2 July 2018, New Delhi

The hearing of the EEVFAM case was held at court no 3 of the Supreme Court of India before the Special Bench consisting of Justice Madan B. Lukur and Justice U.U. Lalit. The court asked the CBI SIT about the progress of the investigation. CBI SIT had placed the 6th status report of the investigation before the bench in sealed envelope.

The Additional Solicitor General (ASG), who was also represents the SIT, informed the court that they have almost completed the investigation for four cases and about 20 cases could be completed in two months or so.

Dissatisfied by the reply of the ASG, the court observed that the investigation is still moving very slow. The court also turned to the NHRC and said that the role of NHRC is to protect human rights and therefore, they should take proactive role in ensuring proper investigation in these cases. Thereafter, the court asked the counsel for the Register General of Manipur High Court about the documents that had been sought by the SIT.

Responding, the counsel submits that the HC has two pending cases, whose documents are sought by the SIT. The counsel also informed that these two pending cases are listed for hearing on 27 July 2018 and 12 August 2018 and ensured their cooperation with the investigation.

Mr. Colin Gonsalvas, Senior advocate representing the petitioners drew the attention of the court that the court had already passed four orders wherein it has categorically directed that the investigation should be completed by 31 December 2017, 26 February 2018, as soon as possible and finally 30 June 2018. But the CBI investigation is never completed even today.

Mr. Gonsalves categorically stated that the petitioners are not satisfied with the progress of investigation and the petitioners are of the view that the SIT is not progressing as they ought to be doing. Therefore, the petitioners have lost their fate in the SIT.He also submits that NHRC’s participation in the investigation is not satisfactory andto put in on record the petitioners have even written to the NHRC about their dissatisfaction.

The court asked the NHRC that they should actively get involved in investigation. The court also asked the SIT to share all the status reports and progress of the investigation with NHRC by Thursday and intervene as and when required. The mater is listed again on 27 July 2018.

Mentioned may be made that the Supreme Court is hearing a plea seeking a probe of 1528 fake encounters that had taken place in Manipur from 1979 to 2012.

Yours sincerely,

(Babloo Loitongbam)
Executive Director
Human Rights Alert ,
Kwakeithel Thiyam Leikai,
Imphal –795001,
Manipur