IMPHAL, Oct 3: The working committee of the Apunba Lup, in a statement, has lauded the steps being taken up by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India to bring justice to the infamous July 23 BT Road firing incident of 2009.
The Apunba Lup statement signed jointly by three coordinators Langdon Leima, Sunil Karam, Phulindro Konsam further said chargesheet framed against nine police personnels involved in the July 23 BT road incident has given a ray of hope to the people of Manipur to place faith in the administration of justice.
The Apunba Lup further said people of Manipur have been launching a prolonged movement against fake encounter drama by government forces.
Manipur government had instituted numerous inquiries against innumerable numbers of fake encounters incidents in the state, however none of these inquiry commissions failed to punish guilty security personnel till today even as scores of people continue to suffer of injustice.
The Apunba Lup statement further said recent charge-sheeting of some police personnel involved in the July 23 incident is indeed the first instance of taking up a proactive step towards delivering justice to the oppressed people of Manipur.
Due to lack of appropriate proof and evidence, charges of fake encounter killings by security forces have till date remained unattended by the government. However, after Tehelka’s revelation of July 23 BT Road incident with photographic evidences, government could not remain silent and ordered for a thorough investigation, Expressing concern over the developing situation and the state government’s lukewarm response in sanctioning legal prosecution against the involved security personnel, the Apunba Lup asked if the government is hand in glove with the killer security personnel.
As per laws of the country, legal steps should be taken up against involved police personnel immediately after chargesheets are framed and all the involved person should be treated as undertrial prisoners and necessary legal proceedings taken up against them.
Contrary to all the judicial proceedings, all the police personnel against whom the CBI framed chargesheets and even issued arrest warrants were given bail, it lamented.
This step indeed is undermining of the movement that people launched in the quest for justice and an example of arbitrary exercise of judicial discretionary power, the Apunba Lup said adding granting bail to the guilty persons involved in July 23 BT firing incident would amount to a complete loss of judicial credibility.
Recalling chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh’s assurance that all the guilty person, whether big or small, involved in the July 23 incident would be punished according to the law, the Apunba Lup asked the chief minister to do the needful.
