Commandos seem to be trigger-happy : Counsel
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 08 2013:
Counsel Mukun Sinha who appeared for petitioners before the enquiry commission set up at the instance of the Supreme Court to investigate six cases of extra judicial killings in the State has remarked that Manipur Police commandos seem to have no qualms in killing people.
Mukun Sinha also earlier served as counsel for Gujarat fake encounter victims.
Speaking to media persons before leaving Imphal at the office of Human Rights Alert today, Mukun Sinha said that his observation of police witnesses during the hearing at Classic Hotel indicated certain disturbing disposition of police commandos.
Killing people seem to be very easy for Manipur police commandos and the word 'reliable information' appeared to give them permission to kill people, Mukun Sinha remarked.
Observing that it was not right for combined security teams to undertake military operations in areas where Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act is not enforced, Mukun Sinha noted that commandos felt like they were enjoying all the immunity.
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Expressing shock over the prevailing scenario of Manipur, Mukun Sinha observed that Manipur Police are very weak when it comes to paper work.
At the same time, they have been abusing power as well as institutional machinery.
The commission has not authority to punish any man.
It duty is restricted to forwarding recommendations to the Supreme Court.
Nonetheless, there is a need for the Supreme Court to set up a special investigation team to probe into the cases of extra judicial killings.
The SIT should have representatives of the State Government and the Union Government as well as representatives of victims, he suggested.
Conducting inquest after weapons recovered after encounter have been seized by police and the deceased sent to morgue cannot establish the facts and this was detected during cross examination of police witnesses, Mukun Sinha said.
The commission would resume its hearing into the extra judicial killing cases at New Delhi from March 12 .