Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, September 04, 2009:
Justice PG Agarwal (retd), who arrived in Imphal Friday to initiate judicial inquiry in the July 23 shooting incident at Khwairamband market in the heart of the state capital in which two persons were killed and five others were injured, has sought co-operation of the public in finding out the truth behind the incident and fixing those responsible.
Without co-operation of the people, it will not be possible to find the truth behind the incident and fix those responsible culprits, Justice Agarwal said during a press meet held at Hotel Imphal today.
"We seek people's co-operation so that the truth behind the incident can be found out.
We need people's co-operation to fix those responsible for the unfortunate incident," Justice Agarwal said.He also assured of completing the inquiry into the incident within the stipulated time.
Manipur government's order issued with regard to the commission of inquiry states that the Commission will submit its report within a period of two months from the date of issue of the notification, August 27."No time could be set, but it depends on the people's co-operation to complete the inquiry within the given time," he said and appealed to the public to submit their statements to the Commission on or before September 21. The state government constituted a one-man Commission of Inquiry to be presided over by a retired justice (of the Gauhati High Court),Justice PG Agarwal to inquire into the circumstances leading to the July 23 shooting incident.
The incident has been regarded as a fake encounter staged by Manipur police commandos during which a former member of the proscribed RPF/PLA, Ch Sanjit and a young pregnant woman were killed and five other persons were injured.
A week later since his appointment as presiding officer of the one-man Commission of Inquiry, Justice PG Agarwal arrived here today.
The state government issued the order of constitution of the inquiry on August 27. As soon as he arrived here, the retired HC judge, who had successfully completed inquiry into several 'fake encounters' in Assam in which eight people were killed, met with Imphal-based media persons and informed them that notice for inviting public complaints/statements on the particular incident has been issued.
He informed that people can submit their complaints to the commission which will function in room no.102 of Imphal Hotel till September 21.If copmlaints enough to ahead with the inquiry are not received till that day, the period of submission will be further extended, he said.
The appeal for co-operation of the public is amidst the call of the Apunba Lup spearheading the protest agitations and the Joint Action Committees formed in connection with the killing of Ch Sanjit and Th Rabina in the July 23 shooting incident to boycott the judicial inquiry and demand for resignation of Okram Ibobi from the post of Chief Minister.