Death of two in Pangei firing of 2004
CJM returns final report, asks CBI to further probe
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 10 2020: The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal East has returned the closure/final report submitted by CBI/ SIT on the death of two civilians; Asem Romajit and Yumnam Robita in alleged firing by CRPF personnel with an instruction for further investigation into the case.

Acting on a protest petition filed by the families of the victims, the Court passed an order to this effect today.

Notably, a case was registered at Heingang police station on the basis of a written complaint lodged by SS Sehrawat, of 121 CRPF Pangei stating that on April 9, 2004 at around 2.30 pm, their party consisting of SI Kripal Chand of 134 Battalion CRPF, 12 NCOs and four drivers were fired upon at Pangei Bazar from a Tata truck when their party was returning back to battalion headquarters after fetching drinking water from Koirengei and the fire came from different directions, from shops, buildings situated around the spot as well as from a Tata truck parked near Pangei Bazar.

CJM returns final report, asks CBI to further probe

Four CRPF personnel died and two other personnel sustained injuries in the attack.

Two civilians namely; Asem Romajit and Yumnam Robita too died due to bullet injuries near the ambush site.

Asem (ongbi) Damayanti Devi and Yumnam (O) Radhamani Devi had filed writ petition before the then Guwahati High Court, Imphal Bench and the High Court had directed the then District and Session Judge to conduct an inquiry The District and Session Judge after conducting an inquiry submitted a report stating that CRPF personnel were responsible for the death of Asem Romajit and Yumnam Robita.

Moreover, the High Court issued an order on August 26, 2014 in connection with a writ petition filed by families of the victims and it stated the Court was of the view that by the time the two civilians were shot dead, the unknown persons who had fired upon the CRPF personnel had already left the spot and the death of the two civilians could be only because of firing by the CRPF personnel.

The protest petition filed by the victim families before the CJM Imphal East mentioned that immediately after the attack, CRPF personnel got down from their vehicles and started firing indiscriminately and assaulting innocent civilians who were at Pangei Bazar.

Subsequently a large number of CRPF personnel rushed to the spot and fired indiscriminately at innocent people.

Thereafter they entered and searched each and every house and tortured a number of civilians, the petition said.

Asem Romajit who was waiting for his turn in the hair salon was dragged out by some CRPF personnel and assaulted and allegedly shot dead from a close range in front of the salon.

Similarly Y Robita, who was waiting for a passenger bus, laid on the floor on hearing the gun shots to save herself but was also alleged shot dead by the CRPF personnel.

The case was investigated by CBI/SIT as per a directive from the Supreme Court after registering an FIR.

After investigation, a closure report was submitted by CBI and it said that no other eye-witnesses apart from one Naorem (O) Manglembi came forward to give statements about the incident.

As per her statements, both the civilians were shot from close range but the CFSL report opined that the exit and entry wounds suggest the fire came from the 2nd floor of a building situated on the left side of Waiton road.

Further the medico-legal opinion suggests the entry and exit wounds on the deceased were possible if the deceased were in standing or running position and the sketch map prepared by Heingang police station and CRPF are different and none of the other witnesses saw any of the CRPF firing at Asem Romajit The CJM Court after considering the closure report, protest petition and other materials on record, found sufficient ground for returning the case to CBI for further investigation in the area but not limited to ascertaining the details of the CRPF personnel who were present at the place of occurrence in the aftermath of the attack by unknown persons/insurgents.

Thus the case was returned to CBI for further investigation.