Imphal: The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate of Imphal East in Manipur has redirected the 2006 alleged extrajudicial killing case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The Court also directed the CBI to further investigate and consider obtaining requisite information from the concerned authority about the killings of Sagolsem Vikram of Imphal East and Nongdam Khumanthem Diwan of Nongdam Awang Leikai.
The Court was hearing a protest petition filed by the wife of S Vikram and the Extrajudicial Execution Victims Family Association, Manipur (EEVFAM) against the CBI’s closure report.
Also read: CBI closure report on killing of 14 Manipuris ‘very disappointing’: Human Rights Alert
The CBI investigated alleged extrajudicial killings in 2012 as per a Supreme Court order. The central investigative agency filed a closure report of the case in 2018, citing a lack of evidence and the unavailability of records. But, during the protest petition, the Court referred back to CBI as it observed that the account and the claim of the petitioners were convincing.
The Court observed that there is enough material for taking cognisance under Section 302 IPC amongst other offences against the personnel of 34 AR involved in the incident. However, due to lack of the requisite sanction, the Court cannot take cognisance of the present case, it said.
The families claim that the killings were staged, while Assam Rifles allege they were killed in retaliation on October 3, 2006.
Earlier, Human Rights Alert (HRA) executive director Babloo Loitongbam had expressed dismay and disappointment at the closure report submitted by CBI over 14 civilians killed in 2001 in an alleged CRPF firing.
