Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, November 29:
The Gauhati High Court, holding the Army responsible for the disappearances of Angtha schoolboy Yumlembam Sanamacha, has directed the concerned authorities of the Union government and the Army to pay a sum of Rs 3 lakhs to Sanamacha's next of kin as compensation.
A division bench of the court, comprising Justices BB Deb and B Lamareh ordered the Union ministry of defence, the Union ministry of home affairs and the authorities of the Army's 57 Mountain Division to pay the amount within a period of three months.
The directive was issued in connection with cases filed by N Brojendro, a social worker from Heirok, and Yumlembam Radheshyam, brother of the disappeared youth, which sought disclosure of Sanamacha's whereabouts and punishment of the personnel responsible for his disappearance.
Yumlembam Sanamacha, son of Y Jugol Singh of Angtha Mayai Leikai, was picked up from his home by a column of the 17th Rajputana Rifles on the intervening night of February 12 and 13, 1998 without issue of an arrest memo.
Sanamacha's whereabouts have remained unknown since then.
While his family and human rights groups charge that Sanamacha was killed in Army custody, the Army claimed that Sanamacha had escaped from their custody taking advantage of the commotion caused by local meira paibis on the night of his arrest.
Two other youths, Y Inao and Y Bimol, were picked up along with Sanamacha, but they were handed over to the Yairipok police some days later.
It may be mentioned that the Gauhati High Court, Imphal bench, in a common judgement on the two petitions filed in this regard, had in July 1998 instructed the district and sessions judge, Manipur east to conduct an inquiry into the disappearance of Sanamacha.
The enquiry report was submitted before the High Court on March 1, 1999.