Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, November 27:
A division bench of the Gauhati High Court, Imphal bench, comprising Justices BB Deb and B Lamarch has reserved final judgement on the Yumlembam Sanamacha disappearance case after hearing the arguments of the contending parties today.
The whereabouts of Yumlembam Sanamacha, a class X schoolboy from Yairipok Angtha Mayai Leikai, remain un-known till now after he was picked up from his house in February 1998 by Army troops.
His disappearance was a cause celebre that engulfed the state in considerable turmoil for months.
The case reached the final argument hearing stage after passing through a long and laborious legal procedure, including an inquiry conducted by the district and sessions judge, Manipur east.
The inquiry had established that Sanamacha was picked up by Army personnel of the 17 Rajputana Rifles on the intervening night of February 12 and 13, 1998 without issue of an arrest memo.
Whether Sanamacha was killed thereafter in Army custody, as alleged, or managed to escape taking advantage of the commotion put up by local meira paibis on the night of his arrest could not be determined definitely by the inquiry.
The inquiry was also unable to ascertain whether he was a member of an underground group.