CBI registers FIRs in Manipur fake encounter cases

Five FIRs have been registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the CRPF, Imphal Police and Assam Rifles personnel in connection with multiple cases of alleged fake encounters in Manipur.

The Special investigation team (SIT) had been formed under the directions of the Supreme court in July 2017, following a petition filed before it to probe 1,528 cases of alleged extra-judicial killings in the state.

According to media reports, supreme court had "ordered FIRs in 81 cases, including 32 probed by a commission of inquiry, 32 investigated by judicial authorities, 11 in which compensation was given and six probed by a commission headed by former Supreme Court Judge Santosh Hegde."

In July 2018, the Supreme Court had pulled up the CBI over its delay in filing FIRs against accused in multiple cases of fake encounters in the state.

At that hearing, CBI Director Alok Verma had told the court that the SIT had already filed two FIRs in the matter and would file five more by August 2018. Verma had also told the Apex court that "14 persons had been chargesheeted in two cases for murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence under the provisions of IPC.".

The apex Court had, on 12 November 2018, dismissed a plea filed by some Manipur police personnel seeking recusal of the judges of the bench in Manipur fake encounter cases in which the CBI special investigation team (SIT) is carrying out a probe.

The apex court's order came on a plea filed by some Manipur Police personnel who had sought recusal of judges of the bench, claiming they had earlier termed some accused, who were charge-sheeted by the SIT in the encounter cases, as "murderers".