By Abu Zafar10/1/12, Abu Zafar, Newzfirst

 

NEW DELHI

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Supreme Court of India Monday admitted a petition filed by the family members of the victims of extra-judicial killing in Manipur and issued the notices to the Central and Manipur Governments.

The Extrajudicial Executions Victims’ Families Association (EEVFA) had filed the petition before the apex court seeking the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the extra judicial killings in the state since 1978.

Appointing Menaka Guruswamy, a Supreme Court lawyer, as the amicus curiae into the matter, the bench consisting Justice Aftab Alam and Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai set 4 November as the next date of hearing.

Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioner, told the Supreme Court that more than 1,528 people have been killed by security forces since 1978.

The petition also claimed that the killings took place when the victims were in the custody of police or other security forces.

The petition also stated that neither departmental enquiries were conducted into such killings nor the criminal investigations.

“Magisterial inquiries that took place sometimes were conducted by the executive magistrates under the cover of secrecy and most often without intimation to the eyewitnesses and the members of the families. They were conducted as an eyewash.” the petition said.

Families of victims see a ray of hope:

Responding to the developments, Neena Ningombam, secretary of Extrajudicial Executions Victims’ Families Association (EEVFA), said, “There is a hope of justice, that’s why we moved apex court.”

According to Neena she has knocked every possible door in pursuit of justice, but futile.

Neena, 33, is mother of two sons of age 10 and 5 years. Her husband Nongmaithem Michael was killed on 4 November 2008, by the security forces branding him as the terrorist.

(A group photo of victims’ families during a meet in last March. Courtesy- humanrightsmanipur.wordpress.com)