Outrage Erupts: Manipur Tribal Bodies Condemn Assam Police over ‘Fake Encounter’ Killing of 3 Youths
Several tribal organizations in Manipur have accused the Assam Police of orchestrating the extrajudicial killings of three youths from the Hmar tribal community. The accusations follow an encounter in Cachar district on Wednesday in which three suspected militants were killed and three police personnel were injured. Assam officials stated that the deceased were linked to militant activities along the Assam-Manipur border.
Manipur’s tribal bodies, including the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and Hmar Inpui, condemn the deaths as “brutal custodial killings.” They have called for an impartial investigation and urged the National Human Rights Commission to take suo motu cognizance of the incident. The ITLF claims that police videos show the youths being peacefully apprehended and subsequently taken to an undisclosed location, only for their bullet-riddled bodies to appear in a morgue later.
The ITLF accused the police of inconsistencies in their account, noting that the deceased were already in custody the previous evening. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma’s public praise of the police action has also drawn criticism from tribal bodies demanding a fair probe.
Cachar’s Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta stated that the police acted on a tip-off, apprehending the trio with weapons while they were traveling in an auto-rickshaw. The police recovered an AK-47 rifle, a single-barrel rifle, a pistol, and live ammunition. During interrogation, the suspects allegedly revealed the presence of other militants in a nearby forest.
A subsequent operation in the Bhuban Hills resulted in a firefight, during which the arrested trio, equipped with bulletproof jackets, were fatally injured. They were declared dead after being transferred to Silchar Medical College and Hospital.
The incident has sparked demands for accountability, highlighting serious allegations of extrajudicial killings by law enforcement.
Original Story https://theshillongtimes.com/2024/07/18/manipur-tribal-bodies-slam-assam-police-for-the-death-of-3-youths-in-fake-encounter/
Category : NATIONAL,News Alert,REGIONAL
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