Elusive expert opinion freezes police investigation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 26 2014:
Even as a number of household properties including homesteads and paddy fields have been sold in pursuit of justice, police are yet to file a charge-sheet because they have not received the expert opinion in connection with the controversial death of Asem Inaobi.
Although family members and many people suspected that Inaobi was killed before her body was hung up to make it look like a case of suicide, the case is being investigated under IPC Section 306 (abetment to suicide) after FIR No 102(9)2011 was registered at Kakching police station.
The controversial death of Inaobi took place within the jurisdiction of Kakching PS but the IO of the particular case is a lady ASI posted at Yairipok PS.
As such, many have been questioning if this arrangement does not impede the investigation process.
According to official records, Asem Inaobi was 15 years and nine months old on September 12, 2011 when she was found dead in the morning.
But the police record said that she was 21 years old.
Because of this factual error, legal provisions which apply to crimes committed against children below 18 years have not been invoked in the case of Inaobi.
Whereas family members claimed that Inaobi's clothes, legs and hands were all muddied and soiled when she was found dead, post mortem reports did not mention anything about them.
Inaobi was then reading in class XI (Science) at a private school located at Mong-shangei.
She had affairs with one Salam Dipin s/o late Chandrakala of Sekmaijin Mayai Leikai.
In the night of September 11, 2011, Dipin reportedly proposed Inaobi to elope with him.
As such, Inaobi's family members suspected that she was killed by Dipin after calling her out on the pretext of eloping with him.
Notably, before any complaint was lodged against him, Dipin surrendered himself at Kakching PS after which he was lodged in judicial custody for around two months.
After that, Dipin was released on bail.
Not long after, Dipin and his cohorts started threatening Inaobi's family.
As the family refused to claim the corpse and kept the last rites of Inaobi pending, one of Dipin's aunt offered money in order the settle the matter.
All these development aroused more suspicions.
Apart from approaching police and the Manipur State Commission for Women to file due charge-sheet and establish the facts and circum- stances under which Inaobi was killed, her parents� Tomba, Ibemcha and the JAC hired a private Advocate.
As Inaobi's family living at Sekmaijin Ningelkhong was threatened repeatedly by Dipin and his cohorts, they shifted to Khoidumpat in March 2012 after selling out their house together with the plot at just Rs four lakh.
Ibemcha said that they have sold two sangams of paddy fields while another two sangams have been leased out in pursuit of justice.
"For two whole years, we approached the SP, the DGP and the MSCW to see that due charge-sheet is filed but to no avail so far", Ibemcha lamented.
On being enquired at Kakching PS, it was told that the case has been transferred to a woman ASI.
At Yairipok PS, the IO maintained that due charge-sheet could not be filed till date as the expert opinion has not been received so far.
The ASI took over the case since May 2013.She also confided that she faced lots of inconveniences as she is posted at Yairipok PS while the case took place under the jurisdiction of Kakching PS.
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