Explain encounter killings, NHRC tells Manipur

Miffed with the Manipur government for not informing it about even one of the 111 cases of people allegedly killed in police encounters, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the state Chief Secretary to explain the serious lapse.

NHRC has also taken exception to the failure of the state to file a detailed report — as mandated under NHRC Act — about each of the 111 cases. "This Commission is not receiving any reports from the state of Manipur. Therefore, Chief Secretary, Manipur, shall explain as to why the reports are not being forwarded to NHRC," it said in its directive, to the Chief Secretary on January 28.

The directive came in the wake of a complaint that R K Sanajaoba, nephew of former CM R K Joychandra Singh, was killed by the police in a fake encounter on October 21, 2004. While eyewitnesses had said Sanajaoba picked up an argument with policemen and was shot in cold blood, the police claimed otherwise, initially even claiming they mistook him to be a militant.

NHRC refused to buy the police's claim that it was a case of "accidental firing".

"The theory propounded by the police is hard to believe. For some utterances no police will come down and enter into a scuffle with the persons moving on the road," the commission said in its order.

NHRC said, "It is a case of killing of a person who was totally innocent. In this case, a show-cause notice was issued to the state government, followed by a reminder and there was no response. The Commission presumes that the state has nothing to say in the matter. Under the aforesaid circumstances, a sum of Rs 5 lakh only as monetary relief is recommended to be paid to the next of kin of the deceased. Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur, is directed to send proof of payment within a period of six weeks."

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