NHRC team quizzes LDA
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 24 2013: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today questioned the State Government if any steps have been initiated regarding the recommendation to let CBI investigate into the particular case of clearing phumdis from Loktak lake.

NHRC Chairperson KG Balakrishnan, Members Satyabrata Pal, Cyriac Joseph and SC Sinha during a full bench sitting at Classic Hotel raised questions on three different cases including the one related to phumdi clearance project.

Reminding that the relevant authority had recommended CBI enquiry into the phumdi clearance project, the NHRC team questioned the LDA Project Director whether the State Government has initiated any steps in conformity with the recommendations.

The Project Director maintained that it was the Government's responsibility to pave way for CBI enquiry.

When the NHRC team posed the same question to the Chief Secretary, the latter replied that the recommendation for CBI enquiry is being looked into by the Law Department.

LDA Project Director Th Ibobi claimed that there could have been available for investigation into the particular case.

In another encounter case (claimed by police), the NHRC team pointed out that the forensic report did not say anything suggestive of the slain man opening fire.

They went on to question how could a right-handed man hold a gun after his right hand was hit and smashed by bullet(s).

In response, State police officials said attributed the slow pace of investigation to large volume of cases entrusted to Investigating Officers.

The State Cabinet was also intimated in time to respond to the show cause notice sent by the Commission.

The State police officials had a hard time into their efforts to give satisfactory answers to the series of questions put by the two division benches of NHRC.

The police officers faced an embarrassing situation when the NHRC team asked them to produce documents of Magisterial enquiry conducted into a particular case.

Although, the State Human Rights Commission was given little respect by the State Government and Police Department when it was functional, all the police officers who appeared before the NHRC team today conducted themselves with due respect and discipline.

On the other hand, the victim families were seemingly at ease while giving statements before the NHRC team and they apparently reposed all their faith in NHRC to fructify their struggle for justice.

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