Delhi High Court pulls up NHRC, Manipur govt over extrajudicial killings

NEW DELHI: A Delhi High Court single bench of Justice Pratibha M Singh has pulled up the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Manipur government over a petition filed by human rights activists Suhas Chakma for prevention of torture.

The court yesterday issued a notice to NHRC seeking its stand on the plea Chakma. The court asked the state government to indicate in its response the steps taken by it to implement the NHRC’s March 5, 2020 direction to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to next of kin of the victims.

Chakma filed a petition challenging an order passed by NHRC on September 8, 2020, alleging that the human rights watchdog has failed to discharge its basic function as a statutory body established for better protection of human rights.

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In the petition Chakma has claimed that the NHRC wrongly directed the next of kin of victims of killing in extrajudicial manner to approach the competent court of law for claiming relief as was granted by its order on March 5, 2020.

Chakma had filed a complaint with NHRC against alleged extrajudicial killing of Ningthoujam Anand Singh, alias Bose, alias Abung, by Manipur police commandos and 16th Assam Rifles personnel at Kanglatombi Makhan Road on January 21, 2009, seeking judicial inquiry against the alleged extrajudicial killing, providing legal aid to the family of deceased and compensation.

In February 2019, the NHRC ruled that N Anand Singh and Palungbam Kunabihar were killed by a combined team of Manipur police commandos and 16th Assam Rifles in an extra judicial. Noting that their right to life was violated, a notice was issued to the Manipur government asking why an amount of Rs 5 lakh each compensation should be not recommended to be paid to the next of kin of the two deceased persons.

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In March 2020, NHRC rejected the contention of the state government that the encounter was real and directed Manipur government to submit the compliance report with respect to the recommendation for payment of relief along with proof of payment within six weeks.

On September 8, 2020 the NHRC closed the case by stating that it will be opened to the families of the victims to approach the court of law for claiming the relief of Rs 5 lakh each, Chakma said on the petition adding that the NHRC step was “unjustifiable and unreasonable”.