CM under lawyers' scanner
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 9: An emer-gency meeting of All India Lawyers Union, manipur State union held this mor-ning deliberated on the rec- ent incident of bullet inju-ries inflicted to Advocate General N Koteshwar and unanimously resolved that the culprit Minister be han-ded over to the police so that necessary legal procee-ding may be taken up immediately.
with members present taking serious note of the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh's reported comments that shooting of the Advocate General occurred after one of the Minister travelling with him (AG) acci- dentally fired from his service weapon but ruling out in- vestigation, the Lawyers' Union suggested that the CM do the needful for recording confessional state- ment of the culprit Minister.
With reference to the CM conceding that the Minister concerned having admitted to have fired the shot by mistake, there is no question of investigation into the case, the Union in a statement issued by its state unit convenor P Tom-cha drew the CM's attention that failure to conform to established norm is liable to face 'fresh offence for harbouring offenders, punish- able under Section 212 IPC'.
further, if there arises any instance of disappearance of evidence because of the failure to take up prompt investigation because of his (CM) statement that no investigation is necessary, the CM himself will be liable for prosecution under section 201 IPC for causing disappearance of evidence of offence, the Union statement maintain-ed further cautioning that in such a situation a serious constitutional crisis may arise because of the gross and intentional disregard of rule of law by the Chief Minister.
The lawyers' body also resolved to prevail upon the CM to immediately hand over the culprit Minister and to set the law in motion apart from recommending that authorities concerned register an FIR to initiate relevant action for seizing the firearm used in the shooting along with all other firearms carried on that day so as to facilitate proper verification of the actual arm used in the shooting.
Seizures of projectile removed from the AG's body and the vehicle which the AG travelled at the time of the incident, handing over the FIR to CBI as well as preserve incriminating article/evidence till the matter is entrusted to the CBI are the other resolutions adopted at the meeting. Moreover, it also decided to apprise State as well as Central leaders/officials concerned for necessary action.