IMPHAL, January 30: “All the individuals that I have killed were not killed for money, promotion or out of personal animosity but I was just following orders,” said Thounajam Herojit Singh today while reaffirming his stance on his confession on the episode of killing Ch Sanjit on July 23, 2009.
Herojit who had maintained silence since his confession made to the IFP and other national media, surprising appeared today to hold a press conference at the Manipur Press Club.
His open appearance created a euphoric atmosphere at the press club as the conference hall was jam packed with not only scribes but some police personnel as well.
Several of the police personnel were also seen taking pictures of Herojit during the press conference.
Soon after herojit arrived, several police vehicles kept coming in to the press club while many remained parked outside the club even after Herojit left the place.
Clearing the atmosphere of confusion for his sudden disappearance after his confession of killing Sanjit, he said “I am not in hiding or absconding I am in a safe”.
Further implying to the response received from different angles for his security after his confession, he maintained that he does not deserve such an overwhelming response, considering the fact that he is a “killer”.
However, he thanked the public for the support.
At this very stage, Herojit opined that he is ready to accept any punishment deemed fit by the public or the law court, even “death sentence”, for what he has done.
He observed that it was time for ‘realisation’ on the part of the militants and state actors alike and to jointly remove the ‘killing field’ tag given to Manipur by absolving violence.
Let us for once reassure the people a peaceful existence without the fear of being killed or sandwiched in confrontation from both ends, he continued.
Refuting the claim made by Imphal West SP, Dr AK Jhalajit who claimed the confession was baseless, Herojit said that the order to kill was given to him face to face by his superior officer who was then the additional SP.
When enquired on the numbers of persons he have killed, Herojit declined to dig deep into the matter but he said that when he killed Sanjit he did not feel any remorse at that time. But, today the particular incident has left him full of remorse, he asserted.
“All the individuals I have killed were not for money, promotion or for personal animosity but I was just following orders”, he reiterated.
It is upto the court and the public to give the final verdict to the case, he added.
