EEVFAM, HRA demand
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 13 2023: The Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association, Manipur (EEVFAM) and Human Rights Alert (HRA) have strongly condemned the State Government's denial of prosecution sanction of some police personnel while granting the same to other personnel involved in the extrajudicial killing of Major Shaiza and four others on August 29, 1998 .

In this regard, a joint statement issued by Babloo Loitongbam, executive director, HRA and Edina Yaikhom, secretary, EEVFAM informed that as per the direction of the Supreme Court of India, CBI/SIT investigated the case which occurred at Kwakeithel Akham Leikai, Imphal West District and submitted charge-sheets against the accused police personnel.

The joint statement went on to say that out of the accused persons, four accused, namely, Khondongbam Inaobi Singh, Thangkhongam Lungdim, Md Akhtar Hussain and Thokchom Krishnatombi Singh were granted prosecution sanction by the State Government.

Subsequently, CBI gave an observation that the four accused persons had created a false story to screen their team members from the offence committed by them (which is also an offence under section 201 IPC), the statement added.

On further investigation, the CBI filed supplementary chargesheets against four Manipur personnel of the then Rapid Action Police Force/CDO, Imphal West, namely, Nongmaithem Rameshwor Singh, Baremron Khamjai, Khundrakpam Ranjeet Singh and Leitanthem Sharat Singh.

However, the Government of Manipur denied prosecution sanction against the four accused through a notification issued by Rehanuddin Choudhury, Joint Secretary (Home) Government of Manipur on December 5, 2022 .

Through the joint statement, EEVFAM and HRA appealed to the Government to grant prosecution sanction to all the accused against whom triable evidence has been found by the CBI/SIT so that the Court can conduct a fair trial to determine if they will be acquitted or convicted as per the law.

EEVFAM and HRA have called such acts of the Government of denying prosecution sanction to a group of alleged perpetrators of a crime while giving prosecution sanction to another group involved in the same incident as "down right arbitrary and discriminatory" .

It also maintained that in a democracy where there is rule of law the Government is duty bound to ensure that no perpetrators of the crime are left scot-free and that they are to be punished as per the law of the land.

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