Alleged extra-judicial killings of 2006 Court refers case back to CBI

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 2: The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal East has referred back the 2006 case of alleged extrajudicial killing of Sagolsem Vikram and Nongdam Khumanthem Diwan to the CBI directing it to further investigate and consider obtaining requisite sanction.
The Court, yesterday, was hearing a protest petition filed by the wife of S Vikram and EEVFAM (Extrajudicial Execution Victims Family Association, Manipur) against CBI’s closure report on the case.
It may be noted that family of the deceased and EEVFAM had claimed that the killing of the two persons (S Vikram of Nongbrang, Imphal East and Kh Diwan of Nongdam Awang Leikai) were staged while Assam Rifles had alleged that they were killed when the security forces retaliated to their firing on October 3, 2006.
Following a direction of the Supreme Court in 2012, the CBI had started investigation into the case and a closure report was filed in 2018 alleging there was no evidence to prove it was extrajudicial killing and to prosecute the security personnel involved.
During the hearing yesterday, the Court observed that the account and the claim of the petitioners were convincing.
It observed that there is sufficient material for taking cognizance of the offence under Section 302 IPC amongst other offences against the personnel of 34 AR involved in the incident. However, due to lack of the requisite sanction, the Court cannot take cognizance of the present case.
It then referred the matter back to the CBI for further investigation and consider obtaining the requisite sanction from the authority concerned.