Manipur encounters: Yet to get complete records, says CBI

The CBI which is probing 41 cases related to extrajudicial killings in Manipur is yet to get complete records from local police, Army and paramilitary forces allegedly involved in the crime, officials said today.

After the orders of the Supreme Court to register fresh cases in the fake encounters rather than re-registering police FIRs (a norm followed by the CBI), the agency has registered 27 cases and filed two charge sheets, they said.

In one of the charge sheets in a custodial killing matter, the CBI has found that local police in its probe had falsely claimed that the victim had a fight with militants in which he was beaten up severely and succumbed to those injuries in custody.

The CBI has chargesheeted a sub-inspector of the Manipur Police and others in the case while in another case of fake encounter a Deputy SP ranked officer has been chargesheeted for alleged murder.

A total of 14 persons have been chargesheeted in these two cases, they said, adding charge sheets are supported by scientific evidence, police station records, forensic, medical and autopsy reports and statements of witnesses.

The officials said oldest case with them related to 41 cases handed over by the SC in Manipur fake encounters is approximately 27-year-old.

The difficulties being faced by the agency in pursuing these cases is getting documents and relevant records from forces like the local police, Army's Maratha Light Infantry, Assam Rifles, CRPF and BSF, they said.

Most of the records have reached the agency in June this year but still a lot of documents are missing from them, they said.

The agency officials said it is likely to file its final report in five more cases by August end.

The Extrajudicial Execution Victims' Association had approached the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe in 1,528 such alleged killings by forces in Manipur between 1979-2012.

Through an order on July 14, 2017, the apex court handed over four kinds of cases related to 52 extrajudicial killings incidents with 102 victims -- Already a Commission of Inquiry was set up, judicial inquiry, NHRC cases and cases arising out of a probe by Justice Santosh Hegde (retd) commission.

Later some of these cases were dismissed by local courts. With the permission of the Supreme Court, the CBI took over 41 cases involving 86 victims of extrajudicial killings, they said.

The agency started its regular procedure of taking over investigation by re-registering police FIRs but was directed by the apex court in February this year to stop this practice and register fresh FIRs, they said.

Registering a fresh FIR requires lot of legal applications as one has to ascertain the accused and possible accused as well, they said, adding that the CBI registered 27 FIRs from February to July and will register 14 more soon.