IMPHAL, April 15: The Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) has said that the High Court of Manipur has issued notice to the CBI on the question of its non- committal act in pursuant to the Government of Manipur`™s request for taking up investigation into the recovery of large number of human skeletons from the erstwhile Tombisana High School at Imphal on April 15.
According to a release of the HRLN, a division bench comprising of Chief Justice, Laxmi Kanta Mohopatra and Justice Kh. Nobin Singh has issued the notice in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Families of the Involuntarily Disappeared Association, Manipur (FIDAM) and Human Rights Alert (HRA).
Advocate, Meihoubam Rakesh on behalf of the Petitioners contended that after recovery of human skulls and skeletons in the month December 2014 from the erstwhile Tombisana High School, the Government of Manipur has requested the Central Government as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate into the matter by issuing necessary notification on December 29, 2014, it said.
According to the existing norms, the State Government can make a request for CBI investigation in a criminal case registered by the State Police. Then the CBI can initiate the investigation only after the Central Government agrees to the request made by the State Government. It is also a fact that Central Government generally seek comment of CBI before deciding upon the request of the State, it said.
However, the CBI is non-committal till date for the want of notification to be issued by the Central Government under Section 5 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, it said.
The High Court has issued notices to all the respondents listed in the PIL i.e., the State of Manipur through the Principal Secretary (Home), Government of Manipur, the Director General of Police, Manipur, the Union of India through the secretary, Ministry of Personal, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India and the Director, CBI. The present Writ Petition is being filed at the active initiation of Human Rights Law Network (Manipur), it said.