Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 29:
The State Government has filed an appeal before a Division bench of the Gauhati Court against a �portion� of the recent ruling passed by a single bench of the same Court in the Thangjam Manorama case.
The appeal was filed on August 26 at Imphal and the appeal may be heard very soon, said a well placed source.
The Assam Rifles is also believed to have filed another appeal to the Principal seat of the Gauhati High Court but it is not yet clear on what ground the appeal has been filed.
When The Sangai Express contacted the PRO of PIB Defence Wing to inquire about the petition filed by the Assam Rifles, the officer replied that the Army authorities have not furnished any information to his office.
Newmai News Network reports from Gauhati that the Assam Rifles filed the petition against paragraph 27 of the Justice D Biswas report.
On June 23 this year, Justice D Biswas issued an order maintaining that Assam Rifles personnel should be punished if the C Upendra Commission nails them in the killing of Th Manorama.
However the State Government deemed that the ruling was not favourable to the institution of the C Upendra Commission and hence the appeal was filed on August 26, added the source.
The appeal would mainly seek the �legal stamp� of the Inquiry Commission from the Division bench of the High Court.
Assam Rifles authorities had earlier filed the main writ petition challenging the legality and validity of the C Upendra Inquiry Commission.
The findings of the Commission were submitted on November 22, last year, but it could not be tabled as there was an earlier interim verdict passed by the Principal seat on the main petition.
The Court had also ruled that the probe report should be submitted to the Union Home Ministry.
A few days after the main verdict was issued, lawyers on behalf of Manorama filed a caveat pertaining to the same before the Principal seat.
The bullet riddled body of Thangjam Manorama was found near Laipharok Maring village on July 11 last year after she was picked up by 17 Assam Rifles personnel the previous night from her Bamon Kampu residence.
Manipur erupted in anger over the death of the girl with the people accusing the Assam Rifles of killing the woman in custody.
Assam Rifles had claimed that Manorama was killed when she tried to run away.
Strongly protesting the death of the young woman, Manipur erupted in flames and the July 15 nude protest by women in front of Kangla which then housed the 17 Assam Rifles and 9 Sector Assam Rifles set the stage for the turbulent days ahead.