Rights bodies hail SC report, recommendations rap Cdos
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 16 2013: Construing report of the Supreme Court-constituted investigation commission on fake encounters in Manipur as a victory for the victims' families, represen-tatives of Human Rights Alert and Extra-judicial Execution Victim Families' Association Manipur (EEVFAM) exuded confidence that the commission's recommendation would not only curb stage-managed killings in the State but will also pull up the perpetrators.

Among others the commission highlighted procedural lapses by the police investigators and strongly recommended expeditious completion of investigation of encounter cases.

Speaking to mediapersons at the Kwakeithel office of HRA today in the presence of EEVFAM president Renu Takhellambam, HRA director Babloo Loitongbam recounted that the SC-appointed panel took up six cases out of 1528 fake encounter incidents listed by EEVFAM.

With the commission conducting hearing on the six cases at Classic Hotel in between March 3 and 7 this year hearing on the same cases resumed at New Delhi from march 13 to 21, he said.

EEVFAM and HRA members displaying the report released by the Supreme Court constituted commission which probed into fake encounters

Even though the report was initially expected on July 2 the commission provided copies of the report to HRA and EEVFAM on July 15 and the same report was also handed to the Central Government, Babloo said and informed all concerned that the details have been uploaded on e-pao website.

Stating that further hearing on the six cases would be conducted at New Delhi on August 6 for which HRA and EEVFAM would be presenting representations, the HRA director called upon all concerned to provide all related information ahead of the joint teams of HRA/EEVFAM visit to the National capital.

Some members of the victims' families who were also present at the media briefing hailed the Supreme Court move as a landmark event and expressed hope that Manipur would be free from fake encounters.

In its recommendations, the SC-appointed commission on extra-judicial execution, doubted effectiveness of the controversial Armed Forces' special Powers Act 1958 in tackling the insurgency problem and grimly noted that in the six cases the commission has perused it detected 'egregious' examples of the AFSPA's gross abuse.

Endorsing the Jeevan Reddy Committee's observation that AFSPA had become a 'symbol of oppression, an object of hate and an instrument of discrimination and high-handedness', the commission said 'it is time to progressively denotify more areas of the State (Manipur) under Section 3 of AFSPA.

If at any stage of the denotification there is serious and continued regression in the law and order situation, it should be open to the appropriate Government to reconsider the options available to it, mentioned the commission recommendation.

Asking the Manipur administration to be more sensitive, proactive and responsive along with making the police more people-friendly, the commission opined that a sensitive, proactive and responsive administration including people-friendly policing would go a long way in normalising the situation and winning confidence of the people.

Along with citing report that the IAS and IPS officers seemed to be disconnected with the people, the commission said that police commandos cannot be allowed to terrorise people at will as they 'appear to be doing presently' .

the commission also recommended inclusion of at least one civil society representative in the District Police Complaints Authority; authorise the Authority to look into public grievances against the police, Assam Rifles and other para-military forces deployed in Manipur and appoint a DySP/SDPO-ranked officer to investigate cases of encounter.

In cases of encounter resulting in death, the commission recommended investigation by the CID or by officers not below the rank of DySP/ASP along with ensuring the investigating officers are extended all possible infrastructure and funds to discharge their duties effectively and efficiently.

Further proposing that all cases of encounter resulting in death be reviewed once in three months by a committee chaired by the head of the State Human Rights Commission with the Principal Secretary (Home) and DG of the State as members, the SC-appointed commission also elaborated that it noticed some serious lapses on the part of the police during their operations and investigation, and strongly recommended that prescribed norms on investigation be followed without any compromise.

The SC-nominated commission has justice (retd) N Santosh Hegde as the chairman with JM Lyngdoh and Dr Ajai Kumar Singh as the members.