By TCN News,
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has today admitted a petition for a special investigation team (SIT) to enquire into the cases of extrajudicial executions in Manipur.
A two member bench of the apex court, comprising of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice Ranjana Desai, accepted the writ petition filed by a group of family members of the victims killed in ‘extrajudicial’ murders under the banner of ‘Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association Manipur’ (EEVFAM).
The Court has appointed Advocate Menaka Guruswamy as the amicus curiae and the matter will be decided on 4 November 2012.
The coalition has filed petition in the Supreme Court and placed 63 cases with detailed documentation from 2007 to 2012. They have also listed 1528 cases of extrajudicial executions compiled by the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and the UN and has demanded setting up of a special investigation team to look into the cases of extrajudicial executions, taking disciplinary proceedings against officers involved in those cases, and demanding compensations to the families of the victims.
Neena Ningombam, Secretary of the EEVFAM, whose husband was allegedly killed in a staged encounter in November, 2008 is herself fighting for justice for her husband in the Gauhati High Court.
She, along with about thirty family members of victims killed in ‘extrajudicial’ executions, came together to build collective strength and fight for justice in July, 2009. EEVFAM is an association of widows and mothers of those killed by police and security forces, who allege discrimination and bias for being family members of ‘terrorists,’ and are deprived of government welfare schemes.