EEVFAM and Human Rights Alert condemn partial denial of prosecution sanction

Imphal: Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association, Manipur (EEVFAM) and Human Rights Alert (HRA) strongly condemned the “denial” of prosecution sanction of some police personnel while granting prosecution sanction for some other police personnel involved in the same extrajudicial killing.

In a press statement issued today, the EEVFAM and the HRA said, “On 29.08.1998, Major Shaiza and four others were killed at Kwakeithel Akham Leikai, Imphal West district, in broad daylight”. Following the direction of the Supreme Court of India, CBI/SIT investigated the case and submitted a charge-sheet against the accused police personnel, the EEVFAM and the HRA also said. Out of the accused persons, four accused namely, Khondongbam Inaobi Singh, Thangkhongam Lungdim, Md. Akhtar Hussain and Thokchom Krishnatombi Singh were already granted prosecution sanction by the state government in the same incident.

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Subsequently, CBI gave an observation that the four accused persons are hiding and created a false story to screen their team members from the offence committed by them, which is also an offence  under section  201  IPC, the HRA and the EEVFAM further said. On further investigation, CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet against four Manipur personnel of the then Rapid Action Police Force / CDO, Imphal West for the offence punishable under section 302, 307, 201 and 34 IPC. They are Nongmaithem Rameshwor Singh (A-6), Baremron Khamjai (A-8), Khundrakpam Ranjeet Singh (A-9) and Leitanthem Sharat Singh (A-10), according to the EEVFAM and the HRA.

“However, the Government of Manipur denied prosecution sanction against the four accused vide letter no. 2/8(5)/2018-H(CBI) (EJK) 25 dated 05.12.2022 by Mr. Rehanuddin Choudhury, Joint Secretary (Home) Government of Manipur,” the HRA and the EEVFAM added.

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The statement of the EEVFAM and the HRA then said that, in a democracy where there is rule of law the government is duty bound to ensure that no perpetrators of the crime are left scot-free and they are to be punished as per the law of the land. “Such acts of  the Government of Manipur to deny prosecution sanction to a group of perpetrators of crime while giving prosecution sanction to another group involved in the same incident is down right arbitrary and discriminatory”, the statement of the EEVFAM and HRA stated.

The HRA and the EEVFAM then “humbly appeal” to the Government that prosecution sanction be granted to all the accused against whom triable evidence have been found by the CBI/SIT so that court can conduct a fair trial to determine if they are acquitted or convicted as per the law.

NNN