IMPHAL, Jul 31 : From whittling down the number of cases from 34 to 28 (published in the July 28 edition of The Sangai Express), in contrast to the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission and ordered by the Supreme Court of India, it has again emerged that the State Government is yet to pay the ex-gratia amount of Rs 5.5 lakh to the next of kins of one Irengbam Ratankumar Singh son of I Babu Singh of Langol.
Irengbam Ratankumar Singh was allegedly eliminated in police action at Ningombam and Monsangei road, near Vale Academy on September 1, 2010.
In an exclusive chat with The Sangai Express father of the deceased, I Babu Singh said that they have not received the ex-gratia till date and appealed that the amount due to them be released soon.
Babu further said that the police in its report had claimed that his son was serving extortion notes of an underground outfit and added that the police in its report claimed that the extortion note was found in the pant pocket of his son.
However the demand note produced before the NHRC in its Imphal camp sitting at Hotel Classic in 2013 was found intact while the pant of his son was riddled with bullet marks, added Babu.
It is not yet clear whether the case of Ratankumar is amongst the 6 cases which have been omitted by the State Government.
Interestingly the Senior Superintendent of Police of Imphal West police filed the complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). At the moment there are 45 such complaints filed by the SSPs/SPs with the NHRC.
This came about after the NHRC wrote to all the Chief Ministers of India on May 12, 2010 that ‘all cases of deaths in police action in the States shall be reported to the Commission by the Senior Superintendent of Police/Superintendent of Police of the district within 48 hours of such death.’
The directive of the NHRC also said that the report should mention the date and place of occurrence, police station, district, circumstances leading to the death, brief facts of the incident, criminal case number and investigating agency.
A second report should also be sent said the directive of the NHRC and added that the report should include information on post mortem report, inquest report, findings of the magisterial inquiry/inquiry by senior officers, names and designations of the police officials, if found responsible for the death, whether use of force was justified and action taken was lawful, result of the forensic examination of ‘handwash’ of the deceased to ascertain the presence of residue of gun powder to justify exercise of right of self defence and report of the ballistic expert on examination of the weapons alleged to have been used by the deceased and his companions.
The case of Irengbam Ratankumar was heard during the camp sitting held at Hotel Classic in 2013 and listed as item 11. At the moment, there are 45 such cases where the SSP or SP have submitted reports to the NHRC in connection with deaths caused in police action.
Moreover the NHRC in its Imphal camp sitting had asked the State Government to pay compensation in some cases of death in police action.
