Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 05, 2009:
Asserting that the incident of July 23 was a clear case of fake encounter, CPI (M) Lok Sabha MP Dr Ramchandra Dom has asserted that the State Government should be held responsible for the fake encounter.
Addressing a conference at the state CPI (M) office at Governor Road this morning, Dr Ramchandra Dom said that his party would campaign for repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Manipur.
Condemning the indiscriminate opening of fire by security forces in the name of combating insurgents at one of the most busiest place of Manipur, Dr Ramchandra observed that the clear evidence which proved the killing of Sanjit in a fake encounter has confirmed the prevailing situation of lawlessness in Manipur.
The Government has miserably failed in protecting the lives of its citizens, he said.
Stating that the mass movement launched by the people of Manipur, the Apunba Lup and the JACs against the Khwairamband incident was well justified, the MP said that the CPI (M) would support the movement.
All the security personnel guilty for the July 23 killing should be terminated.
The Govt should take up befitting actions the responsible police officers instead of condoning them, the MP demanded.
Dr Ramchandra also demanded adequate compensation for the families of the victims.
A number of innocent persons are being killed in Manipur in the name of counter insurgency operations, he observed while expressing fear that the same trend would continue in the coming years too.
Saying that he has interacted with families of the victims, JAC functionaries and representatives of civil society organisations, Dr Ramchandra Dom pledged that CPI (M) would support the mass movement of the people of Manipur until and unless facts and circumstances of the killing are established and the guilty punished accordingly.
The CPI(M) would be launching a campaign at the national and parliamentary level to check fake encounters and extra-judicial killings in Manipur and also to scrap the draconian laws being imposed in the North East, Dr Ramchandra said.