Gypsy's family set to file fresh case
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 01 2018: The family members of Gurumayum Jiteshore alias Gypsy have decided to file a fresh petition at the High Court of Manipur with a prayer to hand over to them the body of the deceased so that they can perform the last rites.

A joint meeting of the families of five people who are suspected to have been killed by the army was held today at Nagamapal Singjubung Leirak Gurumayum Mandap under the aegis of Singjubung Youths Organisation.

The meeting was also attended by representatives of EEVFAM, Nagamapal Youth Development Organisation, Imphal Sporting Club, Progressive Youth Organisation, Development Committee Youth Section, UTLO, UGLYO, local Meira Paibis and human right activists.

Speaking at the gathering, Gypsy's younger brother Seityabrata Sharma expressed strong suspicion that Gypsy and other victims were killed and buried behind the army's officers' mess located at Rangapahar, Dimapur.

For the past six/seven years, all the families have been living in total darkness regarding the whereabouts of the five victims.

"We would file a petition at the High Court with a prayer that the dead bodies be handed over to us so that we can perform last rites for the departed souls", Seityabrata said.

Keeping the worried families in total darkness all these years without letting them know whether the five victims are alive or dead is an extreme form of harassment, he said.

Even though he (Gypsy) was associated with a UG group, there is rule of law in the country.

"If he was arrested and punished according to law, we would not have been aggrieved so much", he said.

But the way the Indian Army has been allegedly engaging in clandestine killings is highly abominable.

Saying that the killing of Gypsy and the other victims are a clear case of custodial death, he appealed to the authority concerned to punish the whole unit involved in the secret kiiling.

Advocate Pushpa Gurumayum said that fresh petition would be filed at the High Court soon seeking some body parts, if not the whole bodies, so that last rites and shrada ceremonies of the deceased victims can be performed.

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