SC Inquiry Commission: Commando grilled, details 'buried under memory loss claim'
Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal

New Delhi, March 15 2013 : Continuing with the hearing in six cases of alleged extra-judicial killings, a police commando, Sub Inspector Moirangthem Gobardhan Singh, appeared before the Inquiry Commission, set up at the instance of the Supreme Court of India and was questioned by Colin Gonsalvez on behalf of the petitioners today.

Gobardhan was questioned in connection with the killing of Akoijam Priyobarta at Iroisemba on March 15, 2009 .

Replying to questions raised by the Counsel, Gobardhan Singh replied that three teams, one by led by him and another two " Mike 54" and "Mike 56" went to the spot of the encounter after receiving information from a person claiming to be from the 16 Assam Rifles, that certain members of the banned KCP were present at Iroisemba.

On nearing Iroisemba, they frisked some people, he said but could not remember the time before the frisking and the starting of the firing.

The police commando insisted that the area was dark and he could not see properly.

He however assumed that there were two or three persons present.

He also said he could not identify any weapons on the suspect as it was dark.

When he shouted at them to stop, the suspects apparently took a few steps back.

Upon shouting to stop again, the suspects opened fired on the commandos, and commandos retaliated according to Gobardhan.

After the firing, Gobardhan said he called the Investigating Officer but before the IO arrived Gobardhan said he checked the pistol allegedly found on the body of the suspect and recovered a live round in the chamber and four spent cartridges.

File Pic of protest against killing

He said that he used a cloth to pack the pistol found on the suspect after checking the left over rounds.

He then prepared a Seizure Memo, which was witnessed by SI Sukumar, who commanded Mike 56 and Constable Thouba Meitei and took the pistol to the police station.

Gobardhan however insisted that he did not disturb the crime scene.

On many instances, he cited loss of memory as the incident happened four years back.

The commando further recalled that he returned to the scene with the Investigating Officer and claimed that he doesn't know whether the Investigation Officer performed any inquest or not.

However the IO conducted some "formality", he added.

He and the IO alone handled the weapon that was allegedly recovered from the body of the suspect.

Interestingly Gobardhan said that he did not know the identity of the dead suspect until the report of the encounter was published in the newspaper the next day.

He added that did not know the identity of the suspect when they fired back in retaliation and he did not know the identity after he saw the dead body.

He also said he did not search the body for verifying the identity of the dead suspect right after the encounter.

Replying to a question from the Counsel of the Commission, the witness said that he did not verify the information, as he believed it was true but it was discussed with an officer.

Gobardhan further replied that when he received the information on the movement of the UGs he was at the commando headquarters.

He met the other two commando teams Mike 54 and Mike 56 at Iroisemba.

The witness was asked whether he informed the other team members.

He replied, that he informed Mike 56 but he did not inform Mike 54 .

On being asked who led the other two teams, Gobardhan gave the names.

He said they did not recover any motorcycle from the place of the incident.