By TCN News,
New Delhi: In the wake of sickening on-camera confession by Manipur Police head Constable Thounaojam Herojit Singh of killing an unarmed alleged militant Sanjit Meitei, Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) has demanded suspension of SP of Imphal West District and to charge him as an accused for the cold blooded killing.
PUDR is a Delhi based organisation which is committed to legally defend “civil liberties and democratic rights” of the Indian people.
On July 23, 2009 Sanjit Meitei an alleged member of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was killed in an encounter and Manipur administration had claimed Sanjit was armed and that he initiated firing and died in retaliatory firing from the police.
After this killing Head Constable Herojit was awarded a gallantry medal and ASP who allegedly ordered the ‘encounter’ was promoted to an SP.
However, more than six years after this killing Herojit Singh admitted , that he had pumped bullets from a point blank range with a 9mm pistol into the chest of Sanjit acting on orders from his senior, the then additional superintendent of police in Imphal.
“His confession reiterates the claims of civil society groups that Sanjit was unarmed, that a gun was planted on him and that he was killed at point blank”, PUDR said in a statement.
It also said that Herojit’s statement in this context exposes the dirty reality of many ‘encounter deaths’ and shows that there is a clear hierarchy at work and the higher ups are protected while the lower ranked officers are tried if there be a pressing case like Sanjit’s.
Criticizing Herojit Singh for his silence till now, PUDR said he kept silent till the time he thought his crimes and violations of laws would be covered up by the force and as a result he shows no remorse and merely takes shelter by ‘claiming he was acting under order of his officer’.
Therefore, PUDR demanded, ” Herojit Singh be taken into custody and his statement recorded before a Magistrate”.
It also demanded, “The principle of ‘Command Responsibility’ be applied to suspend the SP of Imphal West District and to charge him as an accused for this crime”.
Sanjit’s mother had filed a police complaint accusing the police of staging a fake encounter involving his son and the case was subsequently transferred to CBI in 2010 for a thorough probe.
The CBI had conducted an inquiry into the case and charge-sheeted nine policemen but none is arrested till now. As for the superior officers or higher ups no action was initiated by the CBI.