IMPHAL, January 17: The case of the recently recovered skeletal remains from the old campus of Tombisana High School should be probed by a high level independent committee as involvement of security forces can`™t be ruled out, stated former minister Okram Joy.
Speaking at a press meet at his residence in Kakwa this afternoon, he said the recovery of some skeletal remains from the site is a sensitive issue and it should not be taken easily by both the State and Central government. The government must find out those persons to whom these skeletons belonged to assuage the suspicions of the people and to bring the truth to light.
He said he also share the suspicions of the common people that those skeletal remains could belong to those missing people who are feared killed by security forces under the cover of Armed Forces Special Power Act, 1958. The State government can`™t remain silent by simply stating that the case has been handed over to the CBI, he added.
`Apart from the investigation by the CBI, the government needs to form an independent high level inquiry committee.
The CBI probe may unveil the truth but people won`™t be satisfied. The high level inquiry committee would help in giving a credible final report.
The right to life given by the Indian Constitution must be respected. Even after science has developed and advanced so much it still can`™t create a single species. So the life of a human being should be respected`, he said.
Since the1980s when AFSPA, 1958 was first imposed in Manipur, 20 persons have gone missing after being arrested by security forces, he said, adding another two persons are reported to be missing now.
Now, altogether 22 persons have simply disappeared from our state and there are many more unreported cases from various places of Manipur in which the whereabouts of the missing person remains untraceable, O Joy said.
Alleging that the site where the skeletal remains were found used to be the camps of security forces engaged in Counter Insurgency operations, he said the first case of the disappearance of a person in India was reported in Kerala when an engineering student went missing after being arrested by security forces. During that time such incidents were very rare and it was taken very seriously by the government but after AFSPA, 1958 was imposed in the state, many cases of people who went missing after their arrests by security force in Manipur were reported.
`The first victims of AFSPA, 1958 in the State were Thokchom Lokendro from Thongju and Kangujam Loken of Khongman Basikhong who were arrested by the15th J&K Rifles on September 23, 1980. The two persons remain untraceable to this day. After this incident, many people who were arrested by Hindi speaking security forces such as JK light Infantry, CRPF, Sikh Regiment, Indian Army, Assam Rifle, Madras Regiment and Rajputana Rifles have disappeared`, O Joy said.
`Many cases regarding the missing persons have been registered at the High Court and then Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has also in one of its verdicts directed that Indian security forces should be held accountable for those people reported missing in Manipur`, he said.
Okram Joy said that while he was an MLA in 2007 he came across such a case when he intervened to save a person reported missing after being arrested by the Army who handed over the person after torturing him for days.
A former member of an UG group who was staying at home with his family was arrested by AR personnel who kept him in their custody for many days, he informed, adding the Assam Rifles didn`™t release the person from their custody even after being directed by a court. During that time, O Joy said, he took the help of the then Manipur Governor Ved Marwah and secure the release of the person after being brutal tortured by the security forces.
If the person was not rescued from AR custody, he might be one among the missing people, O Joy said.