Notice of motion issued
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 14:
In connection with the Umathel outrage of September 30 night following an encounter between troops of 21 Assam Rifles and cadres of the proscribed PREPAK, the Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench today issued a notice of motion returnable within four weeks.
The notice was issued by Justices T Nandakumar and K Meruno acting on a writ petition (PIL) jointly filed by Human Rights Alert (HRA), Threatened Indigenous People's Society (TIPS) and the Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE), informed a press release issued by Human Rights Law Network.
The petitioners' counsel Meihoubam Rakesh contended that in the aftermath of the encounter, additional forces of the AR rushed to the spot and conducted search operations in the area.
During the operation, all the men of Umathel village and its adjoining villages were called out to the premises of Kakching Khunou College and they were made to lie on the ground before they were bashed up.
The petitioners who visited the area and interacted with the victims on October 2 were told that majority of the AR victims were hospitalised at RIMS, JN Hospital and other private hospitals at Imphal.
This was confirmed by the petitioners who visited the hospitals at Imphal.
In addition to 52 men who sustained severe physical injuries, almost all the villagers were terror stricken.
Compelled by the fear of a possible re-visit by AR personnel, the villagers left their homes and took shelter at their relatives and neighbouring villages, without any strength to raise their voice against the excesses of AR personnel, asserted Rakesh.
The very act of the AR personnel amounted to violation of right to life enshrined in the Article 21 of the Constitution of India .
As such, the case was filed praying for punishment of the errant AR personnel and claiming compensation to the victims of the AR brutality, he informed.
The respondents listed in the case include Defence Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Home Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, IG AR (South), Commanding Officer of 21 Assam Rifles, Principal Secretary (Home), Government of Manipur and the State DGP, mentioned the release.