CBI gives clean chit to CRPF for alleged murder of 14 protestors
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The Central Bureau of Investigation acquitted the CRPF on alleged murder of 14 people in the massive outburst of Imphal, Manipur stating lack of evidence, The Indian Express on Thursday reported.
The closure report submitted to the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Imphal district on October 1st, by the CBI claiming the force to have acted on self-defence against the crowd contradicts the Justice C Upendra inquiry commission report of 2001, which found the CRPF's "ill-considered" and "unnecessary" use of force to be responsible for the deaths.
The incident took place in 2001, followed by a massive outburst of fury from the public of Manipur against the Government for The Bangkok Declaration, a ceasefire agreement "without territorial limits" signed with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM) on June 14, 2001. The protestors, met by the security forces with tear gas and rubber bullets, set ablaze the assets of the government, including the Chief Minister's secretariat inside the bungalow complex.
The security personnel opened fire on protesters at two places—the Raj Bhawan and the CM's bungalow complex. The Raj Bhavan firing resulted in the death of three people followed by an FIR filed on the same day against nearly 4,000 protesters who entered its premises and pelted stones at security forces. Another FIR was filed in connection with the firing at the CM's bungalow.
The closure report by the CBI now states that, there is insufficient evidence on the case with the absence of documents relating to the individuals involved, the shooting and the medical records, reports The Indian Express.
Despite admitting the death of 14 persons and injuries of 35, the CBI pointed out that only the death of three has been officially recorded.
"Apart from the three dead persons, it is not clear from these (medical) records what happened to the rest of the 32 persons," said the report, adding: "About the reported deaths of 14 persons on 18.06.2001, entries about three persons are mentioned in the death register." There is no inquest report either.
The families of the departed have asked the Manipur High Court for a fresh investigation and to quash the CBI's closure report in a plea filed on the 27th of November.
