Statement on the killing of Mangboilal

Imphal, 7th June 2021

Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association (EEVFAM) and Human Rights Alert (HRA) share the traumatic pain and anguish of the family members of (late) Mr. Mangboilal Louvum (29) of Lauvum Chalwa village, T Waichong sub-division of Kangpokpi District, Manipur. who was extra-judicially executed by Major Alok Sathe, Post Commander of 44 Assam Rifles and his team on the night of 4 June 2021.

It is despicable that such incidents have started re-occurring again after a gap of several years following the historic 2016 judgment of the Supreme Court of India in WP(Cril) No. 129 of 2012, EEVFAM v/s Union of India. The present BJP Government of Manipur, which came to power riding on the wave of the people's struggle against the extrajudicial execution. should do everything within its capacity to halt extrajudicial execution becoming the horrifying trend once again!

EEVFAM and HRA see this unfortunate incident as a manifestation of the institutionalized impunity provided by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Despite CBI/SIT investigation on extrajudicial executions have clearly established the direct involvement of several police and armed forces of the union personnel in the heinous crime, it is only the police personnel who are indicted and not even a single armed forces of the union.

Even though extrajudicial execution, in no stretch of imagination, can be considered as being carried out in exercise of official duty, the armed forces are shielding themselves using the immunity provided by AFSPA.

The central government has also denied prosecution sanction in all the cases. Considering the vagueness of law in this regard the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West has referred the matter to the High Court of Manipur to clarify the legal position vide its order dated 22 February 2021 in Cril Misc (FR) case no. 633 of 2020.

EEVFAM and HRA hope that the High Court of Manipur would expeditiously pass an appropriate order to fill up this legal lacuna in the interest of justice. If the legal system continues to allow murderers to go scot free many more Mangboilal's will continue to fall victim even as thousands of families continue to endlessly wait for justice from a slow moving judiciary.

The killing of Mangboilal is a clear case of extra-judicial killing and the Government of Manipur and the Government of India should ensure that there is prompt, thorough. effective and impartial investigation and a fair trial is carried out in a civilian court by respecting the verdict of the Supreme Court as well as the international human rights standards.

(Renu Takhelambam)
President
Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association

(Babloo Loitongtam)
Executive Director
Human Rights Alert