Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 22:
Referring to the comments of the Defence Spokesman on the post mortem report of Thangjam Manorama Devi, Federal party of manipur MLA Laishom Ibomcha Singh today countered that public announcement of post mortem procedure is prohibited before final completion of investigation process.
Asserting that the post mortem report should be handed over to the investigation officer (IO) concerned and secrecy fully maintained, the MLA, who is a former Law Secretary, questioned how the Army acquired the report and on what basis were the defence spokesman�s comments made.
As the post mortem report is a confidential matter, it should be guarded by the IO concerned and produced only when authority concerned or the Magistrate insists, with restrictions also imposed upon the latter, not to make it public.
In a press statement issued by the MLA, he said that under Section 174 of Evidence Act, the post mortem report is not a public document and referred to a ruling by a division bench of Delhi High Court on the State versus Gyan Singh case (Cril Revn No 179 of 1980 dated 13/10/1980) that is applicable to Manipur also.
Further investigation is essential to ascertain how the privileged document reached the Defence Spokesman that should have been closely guarded by the IO, Ibomcha asserted.
Maintaining that before completion of Court of Inquiry, ordered into the Manorama case, the post mortem report should not be made public, the Keisamthong kendra MLA questioned the conduct of the Defence Spokesman who conveyed the confidential matter through the media.
Ibomcha also termed declaring Manorama as a corporal of the PLA even before the Court of Inquiry process was over as violation of official procedures and expressed apprehension whether it was done intentionally to render the investigation exercise futile.
What is the use of ordering an inquiry if findings are declared even before completion of the process, he questioned while expressing fear of evidences being twisted/doctored.
mention may be made that yesterday a PTI report had quoted the spokesman as saying that no evidence of Manorama being raped could be found during the post mortem of the body.