Manipur tribal women bodies demand Supreme Court-monitored probe

IMPHAL: Women tribal organizations in Manipur on Wednesday organised a protest rally and submitted a memorandum to Home Minister Amit Shah through the Deputy Commissioner of the state's Churachandpur district demanding a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team-led probe into the "extra judicial action of Assam Police against three Hmar tribal youths".

Assam Police recently claimed that at least 'three suspected militants', belonging to Assam and Manipur, were killed while three police personnel were injured during an encounter in Cachar district on July 17.

Many tribal organizations in Manipur have also been separately condemning the "brutal custodial deaths" of Lallungawi Hmar (21), Lalbiekkung Hmar (33), both residents of southern Assam, and K. Joshua Lalrinsang (35), a resident of Manipur's Pherzawl district "by Assam Police".

Hmar Women Association President Rebecca Hmar and Kuki Women Organization for Human Rights President Ngaineikim Haokip in their jointly signed memorandum to the Home Minister, demanded an impartial investigation. It is "therefore, justified to conclude that the three detainees lost their lives due to extra-judicial killings by the Assam Police, organizing a fake encounter", the memorandum added.

Several other tribal organizations in Manipur, including the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), the apex body of the Kuki-Zo tribals, Hmar Inpui, the apex body of the Hmar tribe, and the Hmar Students' Association, among others, have also separately condemned the "brutal custodial deaths of three Hmar tribal youths".

The tribal bodies demanded an impartial probe into the incident besides urging the National Human Rights Commission to take suo motu cognizance of the deaths.

Cachar's Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta had said on July 17 that the three 'militants', belonging to Hmar extremist outfit, were part of a larger group, which was reportedly planning to carry out "subversive activities" along the Assam-Manipur border areas. An AK-47 rifle, a single-barrel rifle, and a pistol along with live ammunition were recovered from the trio, Mahatta told the media on Wednesday. He also said that during questioning, the "militants" disclosed that some of their cadres were hiding in a nearby forest in Bhuban Hills, planning to undertake subversive activities along the Assam-Manipur border. (IANS)

Also Read: Keep bodies till July 26: Gauhati High Court on Cachar encounter (sentinelassam.com)

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