IT News
Imphal, Feb 16:
The United Women Rights’ Defender (UWRD) has urged the people of Manipur to take note of the findings of the Justice Santosh Hegde Commission, which was constituted by the Supreme Court of India to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into 1,528 cases of extrajudicial executions allegedly committed by the Assam Rifles, other paramilitary forces, and the Indian Army since 2013.
The commission, chaired by Justice N. Santosh Hegde, had investigated six specific cases in 2013 and had concluded that all of them were fake encounter killings. The inquiry was initiated following petitions by the Extra-Judicial Execution Victim Families’ Association, Manipur, and Human Rights Alert, Manipur, seeking an investigation into 1,528 alleged fake encounters that occurred between 1979 and 2012.
Among the cases investigated, the commission found that in each instance, the security forces’ claims of self-defense or encounters were not justified. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had recommended monetary compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to the victims’ families, but many cases remain pending due to a lack of prosecution sanctions from the Government of India.
UWRD highlighted that despite the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filing 39 charge sheets by 2023, the trials had been delayed, leaving the families of victims, including young widows and children, in a prolonged wait for justice. The organization also pointed out that security personnel involved in the alleged extrajudicial executions continue to be protected under Section 6 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), which prevents legal action against them without prior approval from the Central Government.
UWRD further referred to a similar situation in Nagaland, where the Government of Nagaland had approached the Union Ministry of Defense three times to seek prosecution sanction for 30 members of the 20th Para-Commandos involved in the December 2021 Otting Village killings, in which 13 Konyak Naga workers were killed. However, the request was denied, leaving the victims’ families still seeking justice.
In light of these developments, UWRD has appealed to the Governor of Manipur to take immediate steps, including:
1. Seeking information on the 39 charge sheets submitted by the CBI to the Department of Law, Government of Manipur, and the Manipur Human Rights Commission to understand the reason behind the delay in trials.
2. Communicating with the Chief Secretary of Manipur to approach the Union Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, to issue prosecution sanctions for the 39 cases of extrajudicial execution, allowing legal proceedings to continue against the accused soldiers.
