Candle light vigil held against custodial killing in Thoubal
NEFIS demands HC supervised inquiry
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 24 2018: Members/activists of North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS), along with other democratic organizations, organized a candle light vigil at Arts Faculty, Delhi University, against the custodial death of Md Abdul Gaffar in Thoubal after he was picked up by a combined team of commando and AR personnel.

A press release issued by the association conveyed that the protest demonstration was participated by a large number of students from the North East States as well as other States of the country.

It narrated that a combined team of 26 Assam Rifles and police commandos attached with Thoubal district police, picked up Md Abdul Gaffar from his house at Lilong Usoipokpi Makha (under Lilong PS) at around 2.30 am of December 20.Later, his family was informed about the death and his body was deposited at JNIMS morgue at around 8 am, NEFIS mentioned adding that as per the hospital sources, the security personnel had brought Gaffar to the casualty ward of JNIMS where doctors on duty declared him brought dead.

NEFIS continued that the incident once again highlights the impunity with which crimes against people are being perpetrated in the name of security and added that such incidents of illegally detaining innocent people and killing them in custody or in fake encounters have been a regular feature in the State.

Pointing out that last year, a probe was ordered by the Supreme Court into the alleged fake encounter killings in Manipur, it alleged that the impunity granted to the security and police personnel to kill people or silence them though coercive measures, has created an atmosphere of fear in the people of Manipur and North East.

NEFIS further assured that it stands for protecting the democratic rights of the people and demanded all the Assam Rifles and Thoubal police personnel involved in the killing of Gaffar to be immediately arrested.

It further demanded an inquiry to be conducted into the case, supervised by the High Court.

NEFIS also pledged to intensify movement against such killings in North East, in the coming days.

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