IMPHAL, June 24: Several civil organizations and family members of the six NSCN (K) cadres who were reportedly killed during an alleged encounter with a combined troop of 10th Assam Rifles, Paratroopers and Loktak Brigade during the wee hours yesterday have today strongly denied the shootout claim of the PIB statement.
The reported encounter occurred in a forest located at K Shonglong and Khuman Villages some 20 km away from the Kangchup Chingkhong under Gamnom Sapermeina police in Senapati district.
The dead bodies of the six militant cadres were today deposited at the RIMS mortuary. Five of the six NSCN (K) cadres have been identified by family members while the remaining cadre is yet to be identified by family members.
The five have been identified as Chuijanglung Dangmei, 36, son of Kapukhin Dangmei of Thangong Village Khoupum, Th Leikampao, 37, son of Th Khangdeinlung of Taosungjang Khoupum, Ngoubuibo, 26, son of Nrialak of Inen Village Tousem Sub-division and Mazadai Panmei, 35, son of Tamchuilung of Oinamlong of Tousem Sub Division and the SP Moningam Anal, 35, son of Phulam of Zubang Ching Sugnu of Chandel District.
Those who had gathered at the RIMS mortuary including family members and friends of the five identified have speculated that the remaining unidentified body could be that of one Rajinglung of Noney, Tamenglong district.
Meanwhile, denying the claims of an encounter, the UNC Alternative Arrangement vice-chairman Asingpao Gangmei demanded “a judicial inquiry into the fake encounter”
He was speaking to media persons at the RIMS mortuary this evening, while the dead bodies were being brought for post mortem.
He said, “The six were killed in a fake encounter and not as the security forces have claimed”, and added that there is every report of prima facie detail that will prove it to be a fake encounter.
Elaborating further on the preceding events of the incident, he said that on June 22, Major Gagan of 10th Assam Rifles had come to Noney Part I and taken away the NSCN (K) cadres along with him saying that the Commandant of the 10th Assam Rifles wanted to have a brief chat with the cadres.
But on the same night when the family members of the six tried to contact them, their mobile phones were found switched off, he continued.
Later on, yesterday morning the six were reported to be killed during an encounter with the combined SF team, UNC Alternative Arrangement vice-chairman
Further expressing surprise over the report that a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the bodies of the six cadres and that the six were in fatigues, he said how come they were wearing camouflages when they were in civilian dresses when they had accompanied Major Gagan.
He added that this shows that the Indian Security Forces have staged a fake encounter.
Asingpao Gangmei continued that the incident has occurred even as a judicial inquiry instituted on a “fake encounter wherein a ZUF cadre was killed after being allegedly apprehended by the 10th AR” on the intervening night of December 31, 2012 and January 1, 2013 is yet to be completed.
Demanding judicial inquiry in the alleged encounter claim he said that unless the government take up the necessary action, several civil societies will launch different types of agitations.
