Against Custodian Killing of SM Manjur Ahmed

New Delhi, 01st April, 2019

DAMMS’ PRESS STATEMENT AGAINST THE CUSTODIAN KILLING OF SM MANJUR AHMED

In a highly condemnable and heinous manner, SM Manjur Ahmed of Yairipok Ningthounai, presently suspended police personnel was brutally murdered by the fellow police forces in their custody. SM Manjur joined Manipur Police as a constable in 2009 batch. In his capacity as police personnel, he was awarded APPRECIATION LETTER by the then SP KABIB K, IPS in recognition to his dedication to hard-work and sincerity in the Police Department.

He was suspended on 10th march, 2019 as per SP Imphal East Order no. A/1/43-SP-IE/2019 on the alleged charge of finding his contact number in the proscribed KCP outfit Nando's mobile phone who recently absconded from JNIMS' security ward. We still believe that the number must have been added to Nando’s Mobile by his fellow members of the department.

Exactly after 15 days of his suspension i,e on 25th March, Nando absconded from JNIMS Security Ward. On 27th March with no reason cited, MANJUR was arrested. There is so far not a single official notice from the police department in connection of his association with Nando’s escape. Now the question we are asking is the reason behind this custodian killing of Manjur where Manjur has no role in absconding Nando.

This tragic incident brings into limelight of the police excessive brutality and their inhumanely discriminative treatment meted out against the weaker section, i.e. the pangal community. SM Manjur's victimhood is no exception to the series of custodian killings brought out by the state forces. This has come up amidst the fake encounter cases of more than 1500 by the security forces in the Supreme Court.

Recently, there has been the case of custodian killing of Abdul Gaffar by the Assam Rifles with no proof of being guilty. So far, no justice has yet been delivered in all the cases. The Pangals have been forced to inappropriately corner to bind by the mere compensation of ex-gratia or suspension of the police personnel forces in any such killings. Now, the life of a pangal is reduced to the appropriation of a mere ex-gratia in any such killings by the state forces as well as the mob in mob lynching cases.

Such brutal incident cannot be seen isolatedly from the series of mounting discrimination of the powerful section and state machineries in Manipur. The community is at receiving end of the victimization in different cases for long. This marginalized community has been tagged with different prejudicial and biased images through stereotyping which lead to the manufacturing of hatred and insecurity against the community.

The representation of the community in media, writings and different ways have come into the picture while discussing the ways of how insecurity and hatredness been manufactured in the psyche of the powerful sections. Long overdued justice to the victims of the marginalised community because of the deliberate negligence of the state has given tremendous impunity to the perpetrators of such heinous crimes.

Such incidents have compelled us to question the real intention of the state whether it is serious and sincere in dealing with the issues related to the marginalised pangal community. Had the state government be serious in protecting the marginalised community, we would not have been subjected to numerous inhuman crimes meted out by both state and powerful sections of the society often masquerading in the form of mob. The state must show seriousness and sensitiveness in dealing with the crimes committed against the persons from marginalised pangal community.

Otherwise, the entire pangal community would be left bare to the protection of their own stripping the basic human rights protection expected to be guarded by the state. The real justice cannot be compensated with the mere compensation of the state's ex-gratia and suspension of the accused personnel. The state should be more sensitive in delivering all those delayed justice and it should take the steps not to repeat of such crime against the community in future.

DAMMS highly condemns the inhumane killings of SM Manjur Ahmed and more comdemnable is the differential treatment against the deceased. This extra-judicial killing after an extremely inhumane torture without having any established proof is wholly against the Right to Life and Natural Justice.

The numerous repetitions of such crimes against this weaker section have reflected the fact of being taken for granted for victimisation by the state as well as the powerful section. It shows the psyche of the perpetrators that the powerless and weaker pangal community cannot do anything against them for such crimes when the victim is from this community. The conspiracy behind this killing in order to cover-up those high profiles involving in the case leaving them scot-free is highly questionable.

DAMMS stands in solidarity with JAC against the custodial killing of SM Manjur Ahmed till the justice is delivered. And, we also urge all the sections of the community to show their solidarity in demanding the real justice for such crime considering the fact that such crime is against humanity. There have been many such similar incidents like the case of “Rabina-Sanjit” and in most of the cases, the perpetrators belonging to powerful class left unpunished.

The victims are only to those weaker sections of our society. Those who have been involved in this case should not be left free that they should be subjected to the same treatment meted out to the deceased. Lastly, we call for the united stand and resistance to let free from such heinous crimes.

Sd/-
Md Murshad Ali
President, DAMMS