EEVFAM hails Supreme Court's gesture
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, October 02 2012:
The Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association, Manipur (EEVFAM) today expressed gratitude to the Supreme Court of India after the Apex Court has admitted to the petition of the EEVFAM requesting a special investigation team to investigate the cases of extra judicial executions in Manipur.
EEVFAM secretary Neena Ningombam told a press conference held at the office of Human Rights Alert at Kwakeithel Thiyam Leikai in Imphal, that this is the first time where filing of such petition to the Apex Court seeking justice on extra judicial killings in Manipur.
Welcoming the announcement of Supreme Court, Neena said she was glad to hear it and expressed confidence that the Apex Court will deliver justice.
She asserted that the people of Manipur are reluctant to openly fight in the court when the police and security forces arbitrarily commit fake encounters and extra judicial killings in the State because of fear of reprisal, but she urged the people, particularly all the widows and mothers who have been victimised after losing their husbands and sons to come forward and unite together and struggle together under a single platform.
EEVFAM is an organisation of widows and mothers of those killed by police and security forces in Manipur.
Speaking to a group of mediapersons in New Delhi, EEVFAM secretary Neena had announced yesterday that a Supreme Court bench comprising of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice Ranjana Desai has admitted to the petition requesting for a special investigation team to investigate the cases of extra judicial executions in Manipur.
The Apex Court has appointed Advocate Menaka Guruswamy as the amicus curie and the matter will be decided on November 4, 2012 .
EEVFAM is petitioning the Supreme Court with the help of Human Rights Alert and it has placed 63 cases with detailed documentation from 2007-2012 and also a list of 1528 cases of extra judicial executions compiled by the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and the UN demanding setting up of a special investigation team to investigate the cases, conducting disciplinary proceedings in all the cases listed and to facilitate the giving of evidence by the family members and other eyewitnesses to punish the guilty, paying compensations to the families of the victim, declaring that the sanction under section 197 CrPC and section 6 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 or any other similar provision in any other law is not necesssary to be obtained in cases of fake encounter.