From fake encounter to fake recruitment
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, March 19 2013: Amid thick and fast allegations against security personnel deployed in the State over involvement in fake encounters and 'surrender dramas', an even more serious allegation has been leveled with a 17-year old boy claiming that he has been victimized by 5th Assam Rifles after enticing him with false promise of recruiting in the Army.

The boy, who hails from Ukhrul district but studies in class XI in Don Bosco School, Maram, Senepati, reportedly joined a recruitment rally conducted by 5th Assam Rifles stationed at Maram and he was even given the call letter for coming to Hyderabad to start training, but escaped after realizing that the recruitment was nothing but fake.

Talking to media persons in this regard at the office of Human Rights Initiative at Wangkhei Thangapat today, the escaped student recounted that an advertisement for Army recruitment rally was displayed on the notice board of his school sometime in August, 2012.A day after the advertisement was put up; some army men came to the School and distributed applications forms among the students who are desirous of joining the recruitment rally and made them filled up the forms on the spot itself.

Among the many students who filled up the forms, he was one of them.

About three weeks later, the student received a phone call telling to come to the post of 5th Assam Rifles at Maram.

When he went there along with a friend, his physical and medical tests were conducted and his chest number (5962) was provided.

The AR authorities also informed him that his call letter would be posted to his home address.

In the month of December, 2012, his family members gave him the call letter which was dispatched to his home address in the month of October.

Feeling that it was too late to approach the AR authorities, he remained silent about the call letter.

But then, on March 7, 2013, an advertisement came out in a local Tangkhul daily Aza informing all those individuals who have received call letters in connection with the recruitment rally conducted in August 2012, to report at the Keithelmanbi post of the paramilitary force.

But when he called up the AR authority, he was informed to come to the Army Defense Academy at Saroor Nagarto in Hyderabad directly, along with a recruitment fee of Rs 10,469 immediately.

So he mortgaged his house and went to Hyderabad on March 11, 2013 .

When he arrived at the Army Defense Academy on March 12, 2013, he found the place locked.

So he rang up one of the AR personnel whose number was given in the advertisement and he was further told to come to a place called Hama Gonda.

When he got down at the bus station of Hama Gonda bus station, two persons on a motor bike were waiting for him.

They demanded Rs 7000 from him.

Suspicious of their conduct, the student told them that he had no money with him but he can withdraw it from an ATM booth.

He took advantage of entering an ATM booth and escaped from their clutches and returned home with the help of a Tangkhul pastor staying at Hyderabad, the student informed while narrating his ordeal to mediapersons.

Wahengbam Joykumar, Executive Director, Human Rights Initiative, who was present during the press conference, said that the issue of fake recruitment allegedly conducted by 5th Assam Rifles has been brought to the notice of Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs and urged for investigate into the matter.

If the Ministry does not give its respond within one month, Human Rights Initiative would take up the matter with the National Commission for Schedule Tribes.

And the AR authorities desire to interrogate the student in question, to verify the matter, they may approach through the proper channel under the provisions of Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act (Care and Support), Joykumar said, adding that for questioning the student, AR personnel should come in civil dresses.

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