By Shobaraj Yumlembam
IMPHAL, April 15: Khumbongmayum Ongbi Lata Devi and Khumbongmayum Imo are relieved parents today. “It was bittersweet when we heard that the Supreme Court appointed Commission announced that all the 6 cases of extra judicial killings were all fake. We had said that our son was not shot in an encounter but was picked up and killed,” says an emotional Lata.
19 year old son Kh Orsonjit went out of his home at Keishampat Jailor Leirak on his Honda Activa to buy cooked chicken from OK Hotel, a popular hotel on March 16, 2010 around 9.30 am. Recounting the turn of events, Lata said that some boys of the locality informed the family around 11.30 am that they saw a team of police commandos picking up her son from M.G. Avenue near OK Hotel.
The family rushed to the Imphal Police Station where the police officer on duty denied any report of arrest but recorded their verbal submission.
“We also went to the Porompat Police Station and then to Police Commandos Complex at Minuthong but they also denied any report of arrest. “
The family would later see Orsonjit`s dead body being shown on the local news bulletin on the cable network while his families were watching the news, which mentioned the police version that he was killed in an encounter with Imphal West District police commandos at Taothong Apheibi under Lamshang Police station.
The news segment also mentioned that a .32 pistol loaded with two live rounds along with an Activa Honda (MN01M-8382) were recovered from Orsonjit.
The following day, the family went to the morgue and saw tell tale signs of physical torture.
“His left fingers were badly broken and his right hand was fractured here” says Lata as she points out to the spots on the photographs to this reporter.
Orsonjit’s father Imo Singh says with quiet dignity that even if his son was indeed an underground cadre as the police made him out to be, his son deserved a trail followed by punishment in case he was guilty.
“He was an innocent boy who was helping his parents by working in his spare time,” he says softly. Orsonjit did his primary education at St Joseph and at a school in Meghalaya.
From the 8th standard onwards, he did his schooling at the 4th Assam Rifles School at Kangla where his mother served as a teacher. To fill up his free time after his matriculation examinations he was asked to stand in to supply fuel for mobile phone towers with one of his uncles.
He was fond of dancing and participated in dance competitions at BOAT. In his spare time he loved to watch TV and listen music, Lata says fondly.
The family of Orsonjit is now waiting eagerly for the developments following the hearings of the Supreme Court Commission and what the Supreme Court will direct in the matter.
Lata incidentally was present in the proceedings at Imphal. “I wanted to see what lies they would tell there. I wanted to see who they were,” she says emotionally.
Imo adds that a magisterial inquiry has instituted by the state government, “but the report was never given to us,” he adds and says empathically, “The State Government is never sincere with such cases. My son will never come back, you see but what the Supreme Court decides will also decide the lives and safety of the sons of other people in the state.”