Dear friends:
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the disappearance of Mr. Sapam Chaoba Singh, 32-years-old, from his home in Imphal West District. It is reported that Singh left home on the promise that he would obtain employment at a construction site. However, it is feared that Singh has fallen prey to human trafficking and his whereabouts are not known. It is suspected that Singh’s maternal aunt, Ms. Konthoujam Ningol Rashitombi, along with another woman, is responsible for Singh’s disappearance. Attempts by the family to lodge a complaint with the local police seeking help to find Singh have been not fruitful. The family now complains that they are receiving threats, demanding them to stop pursing their complaint about man-missing. Singh is missing since 13 October 2011.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Mr. Sapam Chaoba Singh, 32-years-old, is the son of Mr. S. Shyam Singh and is a resident of Patsoi Part- III Mamang Leikai, under the jurisdiction of Patsoi Police Station, Imphal West District. Singh’s family alleges that his maternal aunt, Ms. Konthoujam Ningol Rashitombi approached Singh offering him employment at a construction site. Singh, his elder brother, Mr. S. Tomba, his sister and father are too poor. This, the family alleges, is the reason why Singh readily accepted the offer.
On 13 October 2011, Singh accompanied by two women, Ms. Rashitombi and Mrs. Ibechaobi, a resident of Khabam of Imphal East, in the belief that he is being taken to the construction site where Rashitombi has allegedly offered Singh a job. The family is informed that a person named Gopal met Singh at a place called Keishampat. From there Singh has reportedly traveled by truck carrying cement and metal sheets through the Tiddim road. The family reports that Gopal is an officer with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and is posted at Langjing. However, it is alleged that Gopal introduced him as a construction contractor to those who have been assisting Singh’s family to trace him.
Following Singh’s disappearance, his elder brother Tomba went to Rashitombi’s house to inquire about his missing brother. Rashitombi was reportedly vague in her replies regarding Singh’s whereabouts and informed Tomba that Singh is working at a construction site at a place called Jiribam. In Jiribam however, Tomba could not find his brother. Finding his brother is missing, Tomba confronted Rashitombi again, for which Rashitombi replied that Singh might be working in Moreh (a border town in Indo-Burma border) or had gone to Guwahati (in Assam) for medical treatment.
However, soon after Tomba confronting Rashitombi demanding information about Singh’s whereabouts, Tomba started receiving telephone calls from unidentified persons asking him to stop enquiring about his brother. Tomba alleges that Rashitombi is involved in human trafficking and that there is a criminal case pending against Rashitombi. Tomba also alleges that someone tried to murder him after he started inquiring about his missing brother with Rashitombi.
Tomba then sought help from various public advocacy organisations, which assisted him in making complaints to the local police, the Director General of Police, to the Government of Manipur and to the National Human Rights Commission. He filed a case at the local police station, that is registered as First Information Report 32 (4) 2012, registered under Sections 365 (abduction with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person); 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement and abducted person) 34 (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
The police, based on the complaint filed against Rashitombi, took her into custody, and based on Rashitombi’s statement, also arrested her friend, Ms. Ibechaobi. The police then produced Rashitombi and Ibechaobi at the Cheirap Magistrate’s Court. Ibechaobi has since been released on bail while Rashitombi was sent to judicial remand on 21 April 2012. In the meanwhile, Ibechaobi in her statement to the police implicated her son-in-law, Mr. Anamd, a resident of Khabam in the crime. The police have since attempted to find Anamd, but were unable to arrest for unknown reasons.
Since Singh’s disappearance, different youth clubs in the locality and the Meira Paibi (an informal women’s gathering in Manipur) have formed a Joint Action Committee against (JAC) regarding the disappearance of Sapam Chaoba Singh. These groups demands that Singh be found as early as possible and are willing to organise local agitations on his behalf. On 21 April 2012 they protested before the Cheirap Court against granting bail to Ibechaobi.
Singh’s family is poor and are unable to find finances to support litigation on this case. They claim that the state police have done nothing much to investigate the case properly. They fear that Singh might have fallen prey to human trafficking, run by criminal syndicates in Manipur that hurt people and are even notorious for organ harvesting. Hence the family is seeking support from human rights organisations, in India and abroad, to apply pressure upon the Government of Manipur, that it investigates the case without any further delay, and rescue Singh, if he is still alive.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities listed below asking for their urgent intervention in this case to determine the whereabouts of Mr. Sapam Chaoba Singh.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
INDIA: Please investigate the case of Mr. Sapam Chaoba Singh, reported to be missing since October 2011
Name of the victim:
Mr. Sapam Chaoba Singh, aged 32 years, son of Mr. S. Shyam Singh, a resident of Patsoi Part- III, Mamang Leikai, under the jurisdiction of Patsoi Police Station, Imphal West District, Manipur state.
Name of alleged perpetrators:
1. Ms. Konthoujam Ningol Rashitombi, aged 40 years, a resident of Haorang Sabal, Imphal West District, Manipur
2. Ms. Ibechaobi, a resident of Khabam of Imphal East District, Manipur
Date of incident: 13 October 2011
Place of incident: Imphal West District, Manipur
I am writing to express my concern regarding the case of Mr. Sapam Chaoba Singh, 32-years-old, son of Mr. S. Shyam Singh formerly residing at Patsoi Part- III Mamang Leikai, under the jurisdiction of Patsoi Police Station, Imphal West District. Singh is missing since 13 October 2011.
Singh’s family alleges that his maternal aunt, Ms. Konthoujam Ningol Rashitombi approached Singh offering him employment at a construction site. Singh, his elder brother, Mr. S. Tomba, his sister and father are too poor. This, the family alleges, is the reason why Singh readily accepted the offer.
On 13 October 2011, Singh accompanied by two women, Ms. Rashitombi and Mrs. Ibechaobi, a resident of Khabam of Imphal East, in the belief that he is being taken to the construction site where Rashitombi has allegedly offered Singh a job. The family is informed that a person named Gopal met Singh at a place called Keishampat. From there Singh has reportedly traveled by truck carrying cement and metal sheets through the Tiddim road. The family reports that Gopal is an officer with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and is posted at Langjing. However, it is alleged that Gopal introduced him as a construction contractor to those who have been assisting Singh’s family to trace him.
Following Singh’s disappearance, his elder brother Tomba went to Rashitombi’s house to inquire about his missing brother. Rashitombi was reportedly vague in her replies regarding Singh’s whereabouts and informed Tomba that Singh is working at a construction site at a place called Jiribam. In Jiribam however, Tomba could not find his brother. Finding his brother is missing, Tomba confronted Rashitombi again, for which Rashitombi replied that Singh might be working in Moreh (a border town in Indo-Burma border) or had gone to Guwahati (in Assam) for medical treatment.
However, soon after Tomba confronting Rashitombi demanding information about Singh’s whereabouts, Tomba started receiving telephone calls from unidentified persons asking him to stop enquiring about his brother. Tomba alleges that Rashitombi is involved in human trafficking and that there is a criminal case pending against Rashitombi. Tomba also alleges that someone tried to murder him after he started inquiring about his missing brother with Rashitombi.
Tomba then sought help from various public advocacy organisations, which assisted him in making complaints to the local police, the Director General of Police, to the Government of Manipur and to the National Human Rights Commission. He filed a case at the local police station, that is registered as First Information Report 32 (4) 2012, registered under Sections 365 (abduction with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person); 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement and abducted person) 34 (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
The police, based on the complaint filed against Rashitombi, took her into custody, and based on Rashitombi’s statement, also arrested her friend, Ms. Ibechaobi. The police then produced Rashitombi and Ibechaobi at the Cheirap Magistrate’s Court. Ibechaobi has since been released on bail while Rashitombi was sent to judicial remand on 21 April 2012. In the meanwhile, Ibechaobi in her statement to the police implicated her son-in-law, Mr. Anamd, a resident of Khabam in the crime. The police have since attempted to find Anamd, but were unable to arrest for unknown reasons.
Since Singh’s disappearance, different youth clubs in the locality and the Meira Paibi (an informal women’s gathering in Manipur) have formed a Joint Action Committee against (JAC) regarding the disappearance of Sapam Chaoba Singh. These groups demands that Singh be found as early as possible and are willing to organise local agitations on his behalf. On 21 April 2012 they protested before the Cheirap Court against granting bail to Ibechaobi.
Singh’s family is poor and are unable to find finances to support litigation on this case. They claim that the state police have done nothing much to investigate the case properly. They fear that Singh might have fallen prey to human trafficking, run by criminal syndicates in Manipur that hurt people and are even notorious for organ harvesting. Hence the family is seeking support from human rights organisations, in India and abroad, to apply pressure upon the Government of Manipur, that it investigates the case without any further delay, and rescue Singh, if he is still alive.
I therefore request you to ensure the following:
1. A full and independent investigation is conducted regarding Singh’s disappearance;
2. The family is informed about the progress of the investigation;
3. The Government of Manipur takes all necessary steps, in particular to use the state media to advertise requesting Singh to contact his family, and to issue a public appeal asking members of the public to inform the state police if they know where Singh is;
4. If there is a foul play, as suspected by Singh’s family, those found responsible be brought to trial;
5. Singh’s family provided all possible protection that they are no more threatened or attacked for inquiring about Singh and his whereabouts
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Okram Ibobi Singh
Chief Minister of Manipur
New Secretariat Building
Bapupara, Imphal, Manipur
INDIA
Fax + 91 385 2451398
E-mail: cmmani@hub.nic.in
2. Director General of Police
PHQ Imphal Manipur
795001 Imphal, Manipur
INDIA
Fax + 91 385 2223829
E-mail: dgp.mnp@hub.nic.in
3. Mr. D.S. Poonia
Chief Secretary
Government of Manipur
New Secretariat, Imphal
Manipur-795001
INDIA
Fax: +91-385-2452629
Email: dspoonia@nic.in
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
