ITLF, KIM accuse Assam cops of murdering Hmar trio
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 18 2024:
Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) has charged Assam Police of "cold-blooded murder" of three Hmar youths belonging to the Kuki-Zo community in a fake encounter and strongly condemned the killing.
The victims, Lallungawi Hmar, Lalbiekkung Hmar, and Joshua Lalrinsang, were apprehended by police on July 16, in Assam's Cachar district while traveling in an autorickshaw, ITLF said.
In a statement, ITLF referred to a video shot by the police showing three youths being apprehended without any force.
However, subsequent videos, which went viral on social media, depict them bound with ropes and taken to an undisclosed location in a forested area.
Later, their bullet-riddled bodies were found at Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH) morgue.
ITLF claimed that the police's account of the events is full of inconsistencies.
The Cachar superintendent of police (SP) stated that the three youths were arrested around 4:30 pm on July 16, at Krishnapur Road and interrogated them, during which they allegedly revealed information about their counterparts sheltering in Bhuban Hills.
A special operation was then launched in the morning of July 17, 2024, around Bhuban Hills.
During this operation, three militants "wearing bulletproof jackets and helmets" were reportedly apprehended after being injured in a crossfire and later pronounced dead at SMCH.
However, the three dead militants, one of whom was wearing a bulletproof vest in pictures leaked from the morgue, were identified as three youths already in police custody since the previous evening: Lallungawi Hmar, Lalbiekkung Hmar, and Joshua Lalrinsang, elaborated the statement.
ITLF also contended that these inconsistencies indicate the killings were extra-judicial and demanded that the policemen involved be tried in court for the murder of three Indian citizens.
ITLF also criticised Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma for lauding the killings on social media.
Citing video evidence and inconsistencies in the police's version of the events, ITLF called for the state government to institute an impartial investigation into the deaths and ensure justice is delivered.
They also requested the National Human Rights Commission to take suo motu cognizance of the deaths and issue notices to the Assam government to open an investigation into the killings.
Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) also condemned in the strongest terms the "cold-blooded murder" of the three Kuki-Zo individuals by Assam Police, in Assam's Cachar district near the Assam-Manipur border.
This grievous incident has not only shocked the community but also raised serious concerns about the conduct and accountability of law enforcement agencies in the region, KIM said.
In a separate statement, KIM contended that despite Assam Police's claims of an encounter where three Hmar militants were killed in an early morning operation, the incident is rather a clear case of extrajudicial killing, with the three youths becoming victims of a well-staged fake encounter.
The incident Reflects the plight of Kuki-Zo people who do not have a separate administration of their own.
It is also a grave violation of the rights and privileges of the Kuki-Zo people as equal citizens of the country.
Therefore, this incident is an earnest call to the Government of India to expedite a permanent political solution for the Kuki-Zo people to safeguard our rights and privileges, the statement said.
KIM also mourned the tragic death of the three and stated that they stand in solidarity with the bereaved families.
The Kuki-Zo people will remain resolute in their quest for truth and in the fight against the injustices perpetrated against the community since the beginning of the conflict in the Manipur.
They also urge all relevant agencies and stakeholders to prioritise the investigation and ehsure a fair resolution to this grievous matter.
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