Imphal, March 20 2010: Demanding an impartial enquiry to establish veracity on the entire circumstances leading to Advocate General N Koteshwar Singh suffering bullet wound, the Manipur People's Party (MPP) has urged the Governor to grant sanction for prosecution of the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and two Ministers involved in the incident.

In a memorandum submitted to the Governor yesterday, the MPP stressed on the need for either an impartial enquiry by a sitting Judge of the High Court or the case be handed over directly to the CBI, to find the culprit and decide nature of the crime, the motive, type of punishment and measures in order to check recurrence of unwanted events.

further the political organisation drew the attention of the Governor that investigation in a free and fair manner could be ensured when Ministers K Ranjit and DD Thaisii along with the chief Minister are asked to step down when the probe is under process.

Explaining on the proposal, MPP said taking into account the Chief Minister's earlier comments wherein inquiry was ruled out for the Minister concerned had confessed to have opened fire accidentally there is strong possibility of tampering of evidences and the offenders influencing the case if they continue to hold official positions.

"The Governor may kindly grant sanction to prosecute the CM, K Ranjit and DD Thaisii by asking them to step down in the best spirit towards delivery of justice and respecting principles and rule of law," the mPP opined in its representation while adding that the three should not hold any official position until they are proved innocent.

Citing media report of bodies of legal practitioners deciding to file complaints to the Guwahati High Court, MPP suggested that rather than wait for condemnation by the Court on the issue it would be more reasonable to take an early decision by the appropriate authority.

A copy each of the memorandum have also been addressed to the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P chidambaram for relevant action.

Chronicling circumstances leading to the firing and causing injury to the Advocate General, the MPP questioned why N Koteshwar was asked to ride along with Works Minister K Ranjit and Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii on their way back from an Ukhrul district village.

Not satisfied with the CM's assertion that the AG was hit by a single bullet, the MPP quoted media reports of about ten shots being fired in between Gwaltabi upto Lamlai during the return journey with the VIP car being the apparent source from where the shots were fired intermittently.

The fact that there was no retaliatory firing from the escort party accompanying the VIP entourage testify that the firing was not an attack but from among the VIPs, the memorandum construed while conveying that such contradictions coupled with the CM's assertion had been creating doubts in the mind of the people of Manipur whether the case would fail to nail the actual culprit.

Comment