IMPHAL: The Manipur High Court issued notices to the officials of Union Government, State Government, State Police, Army and the Assam Rifles after hearing on a contempt petition filed by International Meiteis Forum.
In its petition, the Forum alleged that the authorities were complicit in violating the High Court order passed on August 3, according to which status quo was bound to be maintained at the site proposed for mass burial of Kuki-Zo community members, who lost their lives in the ethnic clashes.
The August 3 order was passed by Manipur High Court in the PIL filed by the same organization.
A bench of the HC, comprising Acting Chief Justice MV Muralidharan and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma, had issued notices to Chief Secretary of Manipur Government, Commissioner (Home) of the Manipur Government, Director General of Police of Manipur, Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur District, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, General Officer Commander in Chief of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army, Inspector General of Assam Rifles etc.
Through the order, the Court also sought responses from the Chairman of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum and the Convenor of the Joint Philanthropic Organizations.
The petitioner maintained that the location of the proposed burial site, at S. Boljang of Haolai Khopi village, Churachandpur, is lwithin a government complex containing a sericulture farm and they stressed that, as the land in question is government-notified, a status quo ante should have been kept at the said location as per the court’s directives.
Despite the Court order, the petitioner alleged that the tensions escalated as locals, particularly the women, took to the streets to with their demand for access to the intended burial site. Moreover, the petitioner alleged, despite the claims by Pagin Haokip, Chairman of Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) about the mass burial being postponed, a huge mob from Churachandpur and S Kotlien vandalized Meitei houses in Torbung Bangla on August 5, 2023.
This mob also allegedly employed bulldozers to devastate the area, including the Government Sericulture Farm, acting in clear defiance of the court's order. Such acts happened despite the presence of the police, army and central paramilitary forces, it is alleged.
The petitioner claimed that they possessed drone footage of Police, Manipur government, Union government, Army, and the planners of the intended burial displayed open contempt, deliberately not adhering to the court's directives.
The petitioner organisation also submitted that utilization of the land belonging to the Government Sericulture Farm exclusively for the Kuki-Zo community's mass burial, without proper legal authorization, is a malicious and improper act.
Furthermore, the petitioner pointed out that such actions resulted in not only causing harm to their interests but also cast a shadow in the eyes of the general public on the High Court's reputation.
In light of these submissions, the petitioner sought to initiate contempt proceeding against the respondents under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
The Court is slated to consider the matter next on August 30.
Also Watch: