Police prevent 'July 23 anniversary' function
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Imphal, July 23 2011:
The police today prevented the people from observing the second death anniversary of Th.Rabina and Ch.
Sanjit.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the brutal killing of Th.Rabina and Ch.
Sanjit today organized an anniversary day to pay floral tribute to the two victims who lost their lives in a firing incident on July 23, 2009.However, the organizers and the public were prevented by Imphal police because permission for the event was not obtained from Imphal Municipality Council (IMC) and the deputy commission of Imphal West district imposed 144 CrPC in the district.
The event which was earlier planned at GM Hall was later shifted to Thao Ground in Thangmeiband, also under the jurisdiction of IMC, at about 1:30 pm.
But after an hour of the proceeding, the police again cracked down on the gathering under Imphal police OCs Meghabarna and RK Tejbir.
Ph Shakhi, president of Apunba Manipur Kanba Ima Lup (AMKIL), lamented that even after two years the government is unable to dispense justice in the July 23 fake encounter case despite the fact that the case has been handed over to the CBI and nine police personnel subsequently charge sheeted by the investigative agency.
Manipur today is full of graveyards, she said, and added that this is so because of martial law like AFSPA.
Sakhi also said that the wearing of white cloths on the anniversary day is a symbolic protest against the state government for its flip flop role in punishing the culprits.
"A person arrested in Manipur is murdered even before he is produced before a law court.
This is outrageous and a slow push towards a full blown civil war", she said, adding that both the state and the Central government are only engaging in mouth service and not politically motivated enough to bring sustainable political solution in the state.
She suspected that the chief minister might also be involved in the July 23 fake encounter case as he declared, throwing cautions to the winds, on the floor of the house the same day that the incident was a clear case of encounter between underground outfits and the police.
"But the CBI investigation told a different tale," she said.
K.T.Rahaman, president of All Manipur United Club Organization, condemned the state government for cracking down on peaceful and democratic gathering and maintained that a verbal agreement was arrived at in good faith with deputy chief minister Th.Deven for the conduct of the anniversary gathering today.
Ima Memchoubi, president of Apunba Lup, said that the crack down on the peaceful gathering was a lack of vision and leadership in the state government.
The people need to soldier up and unitedly fight against the state government in order to it teach a lesson, she added.
Few hundred people who had come to pay floral tribute to the deceased returned soon.
Phulindra Konsham, Ayekpam Langhon, Sunil Karam, Ima Memchoubi, Ph.
Shakhi, Y Leirikleima etc.
also grace the failed occasion today.
It may be recalled that a one-man PG Agarwal Inquiry commission was instituted on August 27, 2009, under section 3 of the commission of inquiry act 1953, looking into the circumstances leading to the July 23 killing.
On that fateful morning of July 23, 2009, Ch Sanjit, a former rebel cadet, and Th Rabina, a pregnant woman, were killed in an alleged fake encounter while five other passers-by sustained injury.
According to a written submission of the counsel of the police on the concluding day of PG Agarwal inquiry commission, "No tangible evidence has emerged in the enquiry to implicate any police personnel of any wrong doing in the unfortunate death of Rabina Devi and Ch Sanjit Meitei," stated the written submission, while attesting that they both have died due to cross firing between Sanjit and the police commandos on the fateful morning of July 23, 2009 .
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