Hearing on 6 fake encounter cases to begin on July 14
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 11 2014 : The much-awaited hearing on the six encounter cases of Manipur, which a Supreme Court appointed Commission had already declared as fake, will begin on July 14 by a double bench of the apex court.

This was disclosed by Babloo Loitongbam, executive director, Human Rights Alert (HRA) while speaking at a function celebrating the 5th anniversary of the CSCHR member Extrajudicial Execution Victims Families Association Manipur (EEVFAM) at Iboyaima Shanglen, Palace Compound here on Friday.

The function organized by EEVFAM was dedicated to late Mukul Singh who was the counsel for the victims in the alleged fake encounter cases of 1,500 people who were killed by security forces in the State.

On the occasion, the participants, mostly from the families of the victims of the alleged fake encounters, paid floral tributes at the photos of advocate Mukul and their loved ones.

One Sagolsem Major Singh, father of the one of the victims, organized an art exhibition on the theme 'Lament of a Father' as part of the celebration.

"My son got 12 bullets in his body when security forces killed him in a fake encounter.

He was physically tortured by the security forces before he was being killed," said one Lata, mother of the one of the 1,500 victims of the alleged extrajudicial killings.

She said, "I still do not understand why my son was killed by the security forces" .

EEVFAM president Renu Takhellambam, in her speech on the occasion, said that late advocate Mukul played a great role in seeking justice for the 1,500 victims in the apex court.

She said because of Mukul's efforts the Supreme Court declared the six encounter cases as fake.

"We dedicate the 5th anniversary of EEVFAM to Mukul," Renu added.

CSCHR member EEVFAM filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court of India in December 2012 seeking justice in the alleged extrajudicial killings of 1,500 people in the State.

The apex court later appointed a special 3-member Commission headed by Justice N Santosh Hegde, a retired judge of the Supreme Court with a direction to make a thorough inquiry into the first six cases of alleged extrajudicial execution.

The Commission submitted its report on March 30, 2013 after holding several sittings including public sittings at Imphal during which it received a number of written documents, submissions, affidavits, including personal appearances by witnesses for the petitioners and the respondents (Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, AR, Home Department of Manipur and Manipur Police) .

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