Probes in 30 murder cases pending for 10-30 years in Manipur district, finds state rights panel

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Imphal, May 4 (IANS) The Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) on Friday served notice to police officials concerned about 30 murder cases pending for investigation for decades in the state's Thoubal district only.

MHRC sources said that Commission Chairperson, Justice Utpalendu Bikash Saha (retd) recently made a surprise visit to the Thoubal Police Station and Thoubal Women Police Station and found at least 30 murder cases pending investigation for 10-30 years.

Justice Saha, a former judge of the Gauhati, Tripura, and Manipur High Courts, in his notice to the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Range-II), Superintendent of Police, Thoubal, and Officer-in-Charge of Thoubal police station, said that due to delay of investigation, both the family of the victim and the accused person are denied a fair trial as well as justice.

"... delay of investigation is nothing but denial of justice which a citizen is entitled to from the political government and its administrative authority including police administration. It is not clear to us why the investigation of a case lodged by a citizen for the murder of his/her dearest/nearest in the year 1993 is still pending and for whose fault," the MHRC notice said.

A copy of the MHRC order would also be sent to the Home Commissioner and Director General of Police for taking necessary action.

"We hope and trust that DGP, Manipur would ask the concerned authority, not only the SP, Thoubal district but in other districts also to complete the investigation of murder cases and also POSCO cases within a reasonable time, so that the family of the victims and the accused persons may get the proper justice and far trial as they deserve, in accordance with the law," the MHRC said.

The matter will come up for hearing in the MHRC next on May 7.

--IANS

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