Association urges police to refrain from making unwanted statements
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 14 2019: The Indian Association of Lawyers Manipur Chapter has opined that the Manipur Police Department should refrain from making any unwanted statements in connection with the mysterious death of Ningthoujam Babysana inside the hostel of Standard Robarth Hr Secondary School, forthwith creating problems in the interest of criminal justice system.

It also reasoned that it will be for the best to have the matter discussed in a specially convened State Cabinet meeting and to pursue the matter with the authorities concerned including the Union Home Minister towards taking up the case by the CBI in view of the gravity and wide ramification of the case.

A press release issued by the general secretary of the association today mentioned that yesterday, a meeting of the association's executive committee mainly focused on the death of Babysana, the problems faced by the students community in terms of their current academic career and the State wide agitation.

It continued that after detailed discussion, the association made some observation, one of them being that the people of the State, mainly the students and womenfolk have been staging various forms of agitation like bandhs, dharnas, protest rallies etc across the State.

It further observed that in such a volatile law and order situation, senior officers like IGP Clay Khongsai and SP Imphal West K Meghachandra, were right in stating that the investigation should not be hampered due to public pressure and the public need to cooperate with the investigating authority so that the investigation can be done in a free and fair manner.

However, it continued that the senior police officers made a mistake in their statements, it claimed.

Pointing out that the investigation is still in progress and disturbance and undue pressure from any angle is uncalled for as it would cause prejudice in the investigation process, it explained that premature disclosure of findings during the course of investigation amounts to having a prejudiced and biased mind.

In light of the prevailing situations, it is not advisable on part of the senior police officers to disclose or divulge any portion of findings made out during the investigation of the case.

The senior officers are supposed to refrain from making any biased remarks at this stage as they are not the investigating agency but the supervising authority.

The Association reasoned that this would cause apprehension in the minds of the public and the investigating authority is yet to finalise their investigation and submit their findings.

As such, the association urged Manipur Police Department to stop making any unwanted statements forthwith and also opined that a special State Cabinet meeting should be called to do the needful to urge the authorities concerned, including the Union Home Minister, for handing over the case to the CBI.

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