The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Manipur government over a petition challenging an order passed by the human rights body with relation to the alleged extra judicial killing of two persons in Manipur.
A single judge bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh sought response from the NHRC and Manipur government over the petition filed by Suhas Chakma, the director of the National Campaign for Prevention of Torture, and has now kept the matter for further hearing on April 22. The petition was filed through Advocate Nitesh Kumar Singh of Phoenix Law Firm.
The plea challenges an order passed by the NHRC dated September 8, 2020 alleging that the human rights body has “failed to discharge its basic function as a statutory body established for better protection of human rights.”
The plea claims that the NHRC wrongly directed the next of kin (NoK) of victims of killing in extrajudicial manner to approach the competent Court of Law for claiming the relief as was granted by it vide order dated 05/03/2020.
Chakma had in 2009 filed a complaint with NHRC against alleged extrajudicial killing of one Ningthoujam Anand Singh S/o late N. Lala Singh and Palungbam Kunjabihari alias Bose alias Abung by a combined force of Manipur Police commandos and 16th Assam Rifles at Kanglatombi Makhan road in Imphal, Manipur on 21 January 2009 seeking judicial inquiry against the alleged extrajudicial killing, providing legal aid to the family of the deceased and compensation etc.
After hearing the matter for over ten years, the NHRC in February 2019 held that deceased Ningthoujam Ananda Singh and Palungbam Kunabihar were killed by the combined force of Manipur Police Commandos and 16th Assam Rifles in an extra judicial manner and their right to life was violated by the police following which a notice was issued to the Manipur government asking as to why an amount of Rs. 5 lakhs each monetary compensation be not recommended to be paid to the Next of Kin (NoK) of the two deceased persons.
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In March 2020, NHRC rejected the contention ofthe State that the encounter was real and directed the State of Manipur to submit the compliance report with respect to the recommendation for payment of relief along with proof of payment within six weeks positively.
“Later, on September 8, 2020, the NHRC unreasonably and unjustifiably, closed the case by stating that it will be open to the NoK of the deceased to approach the competent court of law for claiming the relief of Rs. 5,00,000 each,” the petitioner said while adding that being aggrieved of the said order he approached the Delhi High Court.