Fake encounter: Court reserves order till Jan 10
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 30 2019:
Session Judge, Imphal West, today, reserved the charge order against 5 State police personnel till January 10 next year, in connection with the alleged fake encounter/extra judicial Killing of RK Laksana alias Victo on February 15, 1999 at Mayang Langjing area.
The charge order was kept reserved following the hearing of the charges levelled in the CBI charge sheet against the police personnel namely; Inspector Pebam John (then SI of Imphal West commando), then Constable Longjam Lokhon, then Constable Thangkhomang Kipgen, then Constable K Bijoy Tarao and then constable Fazur Rahman.
It may be mentioned that on November 26 last year, Sh Pravendra Kumar, PI, AC-III, CBI , New Delhi, submitted the charge sheet before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West, under different sections for taking cognizance against the accused cops.
The charge sheet mentioned that the CBI investi- gation revealed that Lam-sang police registered a case on the basis of a complaint lodged by then SI, P John, of Imphal West commando, alleging that on February 15, 1999, acting on a tip about a secret meeting at the residence of one PLA member at Chingamakha Oinam Leikai, he, along with then OC (L) Inspector Lokhon, rushed to the spot and cordoned off the whole area upto Chingamakha Kshetri Leikai.
During that time, a suspicious youth of around 30 years of age, was stopped for verification and he was identified as RK Victo s/o Manisana of Haobam Marak Ngangom Leikai who claimed himself to be an active member of PLA.
The police FIR further alleged that RK Laksana alias Victo disclosed that 4 cadres, equipped with sophisticated weapons, were camping at Loitang Khunou area and as such, the security team rushed to the area taking along the arrested individual, after informing Inspector OC (L) Lokhon.
The FIR mentioned that about 150 yards before reaching the northern end of Mayang Langjing, the commando team spotted 4 youths armed with sophisticated weapons who suddenly open fired towards them.
An encounter took place for about 5 to 6 minutes and the unknown miscreants managed to escape from the site.
However, RK Laksana alias Victo, was found with bullet injuries about a foot away from the commando vehicle and he succumbed to his injuries after a few minutes.
The CBI/SIT charged that the deceased was very much in the custody of the Manipur police commando team at the time of killing him and contended that at their own risk, the police commando team had taken RK Laksana to Loitang Khunou instead of keeping him in police lockup, thereby resulting to his death.