Imphal, July 14: MPP president and MLA O Joy has said that the Judicial Inquiry ordered by the State Government to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of Th Manorama at the hands of Assam Rifles personnel after arrest would be meaningless without getting a prior permission from the Government of India.

To make the Judicial Inquiry effective, the assent of the Indian Government under Section 6 of Armed Forces Special Power Act is required, he said adding that if the Centre does not relent, there is no use in conducting the inquiry and it would be meaningless.

All the judicial inquiries conducted in the past against the atrocities committed by the security forces have come to naught as those inquiries were conducted without the permission of Indian Government, Joy observed.

In the light of these observations, the order of the State Government instituting a Judicial Inquiry into the killing of Manorama is meaningless, the firebrand Opposition MLA remarked.

Without the prior permission of the Indian Government, the State Government's order is nothing but a ploy to fool the public and suppress the case, he added.

According to sources, Government of India has not given any permission for conducting the inquiry into the killing of Manorama so far.

Joy has also written to the Prime Minister reminding him that he represents Assam, which is a part of the North East India, and urged him to look into the matter with all the seriousness it deserves.

The MPP MLA made it clear that the version given by the Assam Rifles that the woman was shot dead when she tried to escape from the custody of the security personnel is absurd and cannot be digested by anyone.

Appealing to the PM to take afresh look at the provisions of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act by forming a committee consisting of social workers, public leaders and legal luminaries, Joy said that the committee may then study the events in the region after the enforcement of the said Act and its counter productivity.

Joy said that the continued enforcement of the said Act may further alienate the people of the region and cited the repeal of POT A as a case.

Striking the same tone, leaders of the thirty two voluntary organization spearheading the agitation against the killing of Manorama has termed the Govt decision as irrational and meaningless which should be condemned by one and all.

In a statement, the leaders stated that the Govt's order for a judicial probe was nothing but another attempt of the Govt to cover up the inhuman deeds of the security forces.

Referring to the many earlier judicial inquiries which have been ordered by the Govt to probe the extra judical killings in the State, the leaders informed that most of them are still pending in the court as the army authorities have refused to cooperate in most of the cases thereby making mockery of the judicial inquiry ordered by the Govt.Strongly refuting the AR claim that Manorama was gunned down by the personnel as she tried to escape from their custody, the leaders said that Manorama was murdered in a cold blooded murder by the AR personnel after sexually assaulting her.

Lauding the general public for their support and cooperation to the 48 hrs bandh called against the brutal killing of Th Manorama, they also appealed to the general public to participate in the public rally scheduled on July 16.Mention may be made here that Manorama was picked up by personnel of 17 Assam Rifles from her residence on the night of July 10 and shot dead after severe torture.

Her body was later dumped at Nagriyan Mapou Maring Village.

Cabinet reposes faith in Judicial probe, curfew likely tomorrow: Even as the State Cabinet which met today decided to expedite the Judicial Inquiry ordered to probe the killing of Th Manorama, highly placed sources said that curfew is most likely to be imposed in Imphal on July 16, the date proposed to hold a public rally against the killing of the woman.

A statement issued late this evening said that the Chief Minister informed his colleagues that the matter has been highlighted to the Union Home Minister and urged him to rein in the security personnel.

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