annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Manipur
where the security personnel physically
assaulted her. The army personnel dragged
Naoba’s brother-in-law Romen out of his
home and brought him to the road and was
ordered to run. However, when Romen
pleaded with an officer of the security
personnel to save his life, one of them told
him in Manipuri to go back. No sooner did
he slowly started turning back, Romen
heard the gunmen beating up Naoba. They
also gave a short chase to Romen. Later
on, the army personnel allegedly gunned
down the deceased. In a report submitted
to the Sekmai police station on 15 March
2004, 19th Rajput Rifles claimed the
deceased to be a militant and was killed in
an encounter at Khurkhul Khongnang
Makhong. 19 On 18 March 2004, family
members reportedly accepted the dead
body of Naoba after Chief Minister O
Ibobi Singh had accepted their demand of
handing over the case to the Central
Bureau of Investigation. 20
The 14th Assam Rifles personnel
posted at Kangpokpi reportedly shot dead
one Kamag Khongsai of Chalwa village at
around 4.45 am on 16 March 2004 at the
IT Road, Turibari under Kangpokpi police
station in Senapati district. According to a
Press Information Bureau (PIB) press
release, Khongsai was shot dead when he
along with another member of the armed
opposition group tried to flee from the
security forces during a search operation
launched after receiving specific
information about the presence of armed
groups in the village. However, family
members alleged that he was gunned down
after being picked up by the security forces
from Turibari at around 11.30 a.m. on 15
March 2004. A sum of Rs 10,000 was also
with him, but he was found dead with
empty pockets. 21
On 4 May 2004, Meghachandra
Meitei of Leimapokpam Khunpham
Makha Leikai was allegedly picked up
from his residence by the personnel of
17th Assam Rifles. The Assam Rifles
personnel came in three vehicles at around
4 am. Meghachandra was allegedly beaten
up severely by the Assam Rifles personnel
before he was hauled to their vehicle. No
arrest warrant was issued to him. In the
evening of the same day, the police
recovered his body from New
Keithelmanbi under Sapermeina police
station of Senapati district. According to
reports filed at the same police station, he
was killed in an encounter with the 17th
Assam Rifles personnel. Meghachandra
was allegedly a former member of the
proscribed PREPAK, but he reportedly
severed links with the underground
organisation about eight years back. On 5
May 2004, Manipur government ordered a
magisterial inquiry headed by Senapati
District Deputy Commissioner T Pamei. 22
On 25 May 2004, the Assam Rifles
personnel reportedly gunned down
Thangkhopao Khongsa and Lalengthang
Kipgen of South Changoubung. Family
members of the deceased alleged that they
were killed after arrest from their
respective residences, and refused to take
back the bodies from the morgue of the
Regional Medical Institutes in Imphal. The
155