Khwairamband Bazaar "fake encounter" case deferred for Feb 24 and 25
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, February 09, 2011: The second hearing before the session court on Khwairamband Bazaar (Imphal market) "fake encounter" case has been deferred by the session judge today.

The July 23, 2009 Khwairamband Bazaar "fake encounter" case hearing today has been deferred by the session judge Ph Surendra for February 24 and 25 next due to ill health of the counsel for the accused, Sashikanta.

Today's proposed hearing was attended by eight police personnel who have been chargesheeted by the CBI on September 9, 2010.The then OC of city police, Inspector Munal, commando inspector H Debendra, head constable Th Herojit and Oinam Keshor, Rifleman Ngangom Toyaima, constable W Binoy Kumar, Makan Kanchung Chothe and Md Imran Khan made their appearances at the court but havildar Th Jagat failed to show up at the proposed hearing at the session court in Imphal East.

In the last hearing on January 29, 2011, the CBI counsel, senior public prosecutor AK Singh, opened the hearing with the argument that the incident was not an encounter but a clear case of brutal murder.

On the fateful day the police commandos unarmed Ch Sanjit Meitei and arrested before killing him in an alleged encounter and later claming to seize a pistol on him, said the public prosecutor.

The 9 police commandos who are chargesheeted and are accused in the case are not class I officers of the State government, therefore, there was no need to seek approval from the government to prosecute them, he had said.

The counsel had said that there was enough example and documents of similar cases and that he assured the court that the same would be produced before the court on the next hearing i.e.today.

On July 23, 2009, a former underground member Ch Sanjit and a pregnant woman Rabina Devi were brutally killed in a crowded Khwairamband Bazaar in Imphal in an alleged encounter involving Manipur police commandos.

The case was almost completely closed as a case of clean encounter killing, until a Delhi based magazine, Tehelka, published blow-by-blow photos revealing a case of fake encounter.

On September 9, 2010, CBI chargesheeted 9 police including the then OC of city police under various section of the IPC and investigation of the case has since been dragging on.

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