Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, September 06:
The Gauhati High Court, Imphal bench, has stayed the magisterial inquiries ordered by the state government into the Malom massacre of November 2, 2000 and the killing of two college students at Lilashing Khongnangkhong in August last year.
A division bench of the court, acting on petition filed by the Union ministry of defence and the Army authorities, in separate orders issued by the special secretary, home, Manipur, for conducting magisterial inquiries into the Malom and Lilashing Khongnangkhong incidents.
It may be mentioned that the DC, Imphal West, was to conduct the inquiry into the Malom incident to ascertain the facts and circumstance which led to the explosion, firing and thereafter the death of ten persons, and to suggest measures to prevent such incidents.
The DC, Imphal west was also responsible for conducting the inquiry to determine the facts and circumstances leading to the killing of Asothama, a DM College of Science student, and Abung Lengmai at Lilashing Khongnangkhong on August 2 last year, and tot determine the persons responsible fro causing the deaths.
In the Malom massacre case, the 8th AR was made a party while for the Lilashing Khongnangkhong incident, the 12th AR was impleaded as a party in the magisterial inquiry.
The Union ministry of defence, pleading for stopping the magisterial inquiries, submitted before the High Court that the state government had no power to make an inquiry against the Central forces of the Union who are here in aid of civil power.
Only the Central government can do it under the Commission of Inquiry act.
On the other hand, the state government pleaded that magisterial inquiry into the Malom incident was framed under section 176 of the CrPC.