Justice for Sanaton casts doubt on enquiry

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 10: The Magisterial enquiry into the death of Sanaton Athokpam cannot be trusted as crucial details of the case are being kept away from the family members and the JAC, said Justice For Sanaton Athokpam today.
Even though Chief Minister N Biren Singh has claimed that the enquiry is on to find out the truth behind the death of the medical student, details of the postmortem, inquest report, call record of Sanaton’s mobile phones have not been provided or made known to the family members and the JAC. A representation seeking these details was submitted to the authorities concerned on March 31, the JAC said.
Meanwhile, people, largely womenfolk staged sit-in protest at Chingarel Tejpur, Sawombung Community Hall, Sawombung Sairen Kabui Khul, Kangla Sangomsang and Khurai Thangjam Leikai today.
At the sit-ins, the protesters demanded Government to make public the actual cause of Sanaton’s death and the postmortem report.
The protesters raised several slogans demanding police to investigate the case effectively by registering an FIR first, and suspension of RIMS Director and warden of the hostel where Sanaton was staying.
Notably, Sanaton Athokpam was a 5th Semester medical student at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Imphal. He was found hanging with both hands tied behind inside his room at a hostel at RIMS on March 15.
Alleging that Sanaton could have been beaten and murdered, the Justice For Sanaton Athokpam and family members had claimed that Sanaton’s body had bruises and a cut mark on his left little toe.
Even as the investigation is on, police have not yet named any suspect and arrested anyone in the case. The police are also yet to confirm the actual cause of the death.