Now grant prosecution sanction : EEVFAM, HRA
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 01 2022:
The Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families' Association Manipur (EEVFAM) and Human Rights Alert (HRA) while welcoming the revocation of disturbed area status under the Armed Forces Special Power Act 1958 from various parts of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur have asked the Government to grant prosecution sanction against all security personnel involved in alleged extrajudicial killing of civilians.
A joint press release issued by EEVFAM and HRA continued that the two bodies petitioned the Supreme Court seeking justice for 1,528 documented victims of extrajudicial execution carried out from 1979 to 2012 in Manipur under the shadow of AFSPA.
Saying that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI was directed to investigate the case where there is already a prima facie finding, the statement maintained that the CBI had registered 39 FIRs out of which 30 final reports have been submitted to the respective Chief Judicial Magistrates in Manipur.
The Government of Manipur granted prosecution sanction under section 197 of CrPC when the perpetrators are police personnel and the trials are going on , EEVFAM and HRA said and claimed that the Union Home Ministry, however, passed an order denying prosecution sanction under Section 6 of AFSPA when the perpetrators are personnel of Central security forces.
Claiming that Union of India is insisting to halt all legal proceedings though sufficient evidence of extrajudicial killing has been laid out before the CJM, the EEVFAM and HRA asserted that victims seeking justice are left high and dry due to little progress of the case in the Court.
The CJM Imphal West referred the matter to the High Court of Manipur in February 2021 but there is little progress in the Court, it added.