INDIA: Two persons killed by the Assam Rifles in Manipur

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Human Rights Initiative (HRI), a human rights organisation based in Imphal, Manipur state, concerning the murder of two persons in Chandel district in Manipur. The HRI informs that of the two victims, one was a local merchant and the other a daily labourer and that they were shot dead by the Assam Rifles. After the incident, the Assam Rifles claimed that the victims were shot since they were the members of an underground terrorist group operating in the region.

CASE DETAILS:

The victims, Seram Priyokumar and Laishram Keshorjit on 1 June 2009, at about six in the morning, left their house and were on their way to Moreh, a border town in Manipur. Keshorjit is a local merchant and was running a grocery shop; Priyokumar is a laborer and both are friends. Keshorjit had INR 20,000 (USD 444) in his possession and Priyokumar was carrying INR 5000 (USD 111). The HRI informs that the friends were planning to shop at Moreh for household goods as well as grocery to be sold at Keshorjit’s shop.

Later in the day, there was a news broadcast in the radio that both Priyokumar and Keshorjit were shot dead by the Assam Rifles. The news also said that Priyokumar and Keshorjit were shot in an encounter with the Assam Rifles at a place within the jurisdiction of Tengnoupal Police Station. Coming to know about the incident, the family of both victims rushed to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). The next day, the families were allowed to identify the bodies. The Assam Rifles in the meanwhile issued a press release justifying the role of the Assam Rifles in the incident and accusing Priyokumar and Keshorjit as members of the underground terrorist groups. The Assam Rifle also alleged that they recovered arms and ammunition from Priyokumar and Keshorjit.

The HRI informs that Priyokumar and Keshorjit are innocent and that the Assam Rifles are making up the story to justify the murder of Priyokumar and Keshorjit. A Joint Action Committee was formed by the people in the locality to protest against the murder. According to the local media, Priyokumar and Keshorjit were shot dead after been pulled off from a passenger vehicle at Tengnoupal check-post. The pictures of the dead bodies of the victims do not match the allegations leveled by the Assam Rifles. The bodies show visible marks of injuries, other than gunshot wounds.

The Joint Action Committee that was formed to protest against the incident filed a memorandum at the office of the State Chief Minister on 3 June demanding interim compensation for the death as well as an independent investigation into the incident calling for the punishment of the perpetrators. The next day, the dead bodies were handed over to the relatives.

Murder on mere suspicion and even for robbing is at an alarming increase in Manipur. It has become an alarming practice in the state for security agencies, particularly of the Assam Rifles and the Border Security Force, to search individuals and if the person is found in possession of money, to take the person into illegal custody and later murder the person so that the officers could keep the person’s money. The excuse for murder in such cases is that of an encounter with the terrorist groups. Murder for robbing has become so common in Manipur that it is a common saying in the state that it is dangerous to travel with more than a few hundred rupees in Manipur as otherwise the person is risking his life either to the paramilitary units or to the underground groups operating in the state who abduct and kill persons for money.

After the murder, the paramilitary forces often claim that some weapons or arms or ammunitions were recovered from the suspects after the encounter. It is a story that has been repeated a few thousand times in Manipur during the past ten years, following each incident of murder by the paramilitary units stationed in that state or the state police. It is also a common practice in the state for persons to be taken into illegal custody, detained for days for questioning where use of torture is common and later taken out to be shot dead. A recent case issued by the AHRC from Manipur also tells the same story. Due to the overwhelming use of arbitrary force, including murder, the term ‘security forces’ has become a misnomer in Manipur to refer to paramilitary units like the Assam Rifles. Additionally, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 provides the statutory impunity to the state agencies operating in the state.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please send letters to the authorities named below expressing your concern in this case. The AHRC is also sending a letter to the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions calling for an intervention in this case.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER