CBI REGISTERS 30 MORE FIRs IN MANIPUR FAKE ENCOUNTER CASE

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI, probing the alleged extra-judicial killings and fake encounters in Manipur, has taken over probe in 30 pending cases in adherence to the apex court’s January 31 deadline. The Supreme Court had on January 16 chided the investigative agency for not registering the required number of cases in the matter, as directed by it earlier. It had directed the SIT to lodge 30 more FIRs on or before January 31 this year, after the SIT informed the court that it had registered 12 First Information Reports (FIRs) till date in the case. The agency has now registered 30 more FIRs in the Manipur fake encounter case, taking the total number of cases to 42.

The top court had on July 14 last set up an SIT comprising five CBI officers, and ordered registration of FIRs and probe into the alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur. It had asked the CBI director to lodge the necessary FIRs and complete the investigation by December 31 last year. The apex court, which is hearing a PIL seeking probe into 1,528 alleged extra-judicial killings in the north eastern state, had ordered registration of FIRs in 81 cases, but the CBI could not find enough material to register the same in large number of cases.

After going through the agency’s status report, the apex court had on January 16 ordered to file 30 more FIRs in addition to the 12 cases already filed by the CBI.