Kin of fake encounter death receives INR 7 lac as compensation

Our Correspondent Imphal, Dec. 20 (EMN): A division bench of the High Court of Manipur has awarded INR 7 lakh as compensation to a petitioner in a case of fake encounter that took place five years ago. The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Kh Nobin Singh passed an order in this regard on Tue. Dec. 20. The petitioner was Thangjam Ongbi Apabi Devi whose son Thangjam Thoithoi alias Anilkumar Singh of Thangmeiband Sinam Leikai of Imphal west district in Manipur was killed by a combined team of Manipur Police Commando and the 18th Sikh Regiment on Jan. 14, 2012, according to legal sources. On Feb. 18, 2015, the petitioner filed a writ petition before the High Court. Consequently, the high court instituted an enquiry through the District Judge, Imphal West to ascertain the facts and circumstances leading to the death of Thoithoi. The district judge of Imphal West conducted an extensive enquiry and submitted his report by ascertaining that the petitioner’s son was killed in a cold blooded manner / fake encounter by the personnel of Manipur Police Commando of Imphal west and personnel of the 18th Sikh Regiment on Jan. 14 2012 at around 7.30 -7.45 pm at a road of Chandranadi leading toward Narankonjil, says Human Rights Law Network Manipur in a press release on Tue. The matter was finally heard on Tue. and the high court has directed both the state of Manipur and the Union of India to pay INR seven lakh as compensation to the petitioner within five months in as much as the same is a clear-cut case of violation of the Human Rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Advocate Meihoubam Rakesh appeared on behalf of the petitioner while S Samarjeet, central government’s standing counsel, appeared on behalf of the Union of India; RS Reisang, senior government advocate for the state of Manipur.