Plea by Manipur Police personnel on SC's remarks to be heard on Sep 4

The Supreme Court today said it would next month hear two pleas filed by some Manipur Police personnel who have alleged that they would not get a fair trial in the alleged fake encounter cases in view of reported remarks of the top court branding them as "murderers".

These police personnel have claimed in their petitions that the apex court bench, hearing the alleged fake encounter killings by the army, Assam Rifles and the state police in Manipur, had reportedly remarked on July 30 that "murderers" were roaming freely in the state.

In one of the pleas filed by six commandos of Manipur Police, the petitioners have claimed that the CBI's special investigation team (SIT) appeared to have charge sheeted them in connection with alleged encounter cases on murder charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court, which is hearing a PIL seeking a probe into as many as 1,528 cases of alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur, had on July 14 last year constituted the SIT and ordered lodging of FIRs and investigating them.

This and another plea today came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta, which said these would be heard by the bench which is seized of the matter related to alleged fake encounters in Manipur on September 4.

The plea filed by the six commandos has alleged that their right to life and liberty was in danger as the apex court bench had called them "murderers".

The plea has claimed that the bench hearing the alleged fake encounter cases had on July 30 told the CBI Director, "According to you, there are 14 murderers in these cases and they are loafing around Manipur freely? You have not arrested any of them? What happens to the society? If somebody commits rape, what is there to recover? So you will allow him to roam free?"