IMPHAL: A camp sitting of the National Human Rights Commission at Imphal on Thursday heard a total of 46 different cases, including non-payment of ex-gratia by Manipur Government to the families of the victims killed in encounters with security forces and compensation to the displaced Loktak Lake fishermen.
Three separate sittings were held as full commission, division bench one and division bench two in the camp sitting at Classic Hotel. The full commission sitting was presided over by NHRC chairperson Justice KG Balakrishnan and members Justice Cyriac Joseph, Satyabarta Pal and SC Sinha.
Hearing was held on four cases in connection with lack of proper medical facilities in the state, death in encounter, ecological disturbance and problems encountered by inhabitants of surrounding of Loktak Lake area and alleged fake encounters during the full commission sitting.
The commission also heard on the complaint by Loktak fishermen regarding non-payment of compensation to them for clearance of phumdis (floating biomass) by the state Government after which the lake dwellers were displaced from their huts built on the phumdis.
Loktak Development Authority (LDA) director Th Ibobi Singh said he has no proper knowledge because the onus lies with the state Government when the commission asked him whether the case has been handed to the CBI for probe.
However, Chief Secretary PC Lawmkunga told the commission that the Law Department is seriously looking into the matter.
The commission asked more questions to the representatives of the state Government on denial of ex-gratia to the next of kin of the victims killed in encounters with the security forces in the state.
Additional Secretary (Home) M Yaiskul informed the commission that the Home Department has already referred the matter regarding payment of compensation to the families of encounter victims to the state Cabinet.
However, the NHRC team expressed unhappiness over taking so long to pay the compensation to the victims and appealed to the Government side to expedite it.
A total of 22 different cases were heard in the division one sitting chaired by Justice Cyriac and Sinha while 20 during the sitting presided over by Justice Balakrishnan and Satyabarta.
The cases include deaths in police action and operations launched by the state police and Assam Rifles, suicides in police custody, fake encounters and suicide after molestation by the Army.
Families of all the victims expressed anguish before the commission, saying that the security forces had killed their sons and many innocent people in alleged fake encounters and demanded that all the culprits be brought to the justice.
Besides officials of the state Government, top officials of the state police and Assam Rifles were also present at the camp sitting.
The 18-member NHRC delegation headed by Balakrishnan arrived here on October 22 on a three-day visit to the state. The visit is part of the commission’s routine collection of reports on human rights violations across the country. (NNN)