Centre promises to look into alleged fake encounter in Manipur

The incident had sparked widespread outrage in the state. “I will get the information and then I can comment...then we will look into it,” said Home Minister Rajnath Singh from Thiruvananthapuram.

Manipur police head constable Thounaojam Herojit Singh had reportedly confessed that he shot 22-year-old Chungkham Sanjit Meitei, a suspected member of the insurgent group People's Liberation Army (PLA), in a busy market area in Imphal on July 23, 2009.

Herojit Singh has reportedly accepted that Meitei was not carrying arms and that he allegedly carried out the action on the orders of his superior. Herojit Singh said he shot at Meitei with a 9mm pistol on chest acting on orders from his senior, the then Additional Superintendent of Police in Imphal. 

MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju said the Centre has taken “cognisance” of the said reports on the purported confession. “I was little disturbed to see this news and confession, which has been reported. We have taken cognisance of this revelation and necessary steps will be taken,” Rijiju said.

Congress leader RPN Singh questioned the silence of the police commando in the matter for all these years, but said it needed to be investigated if the reported confession was true. Ibobi Singh of the Congress was the Chief Minister at the time of the alleged fake encounter.

Asked by a TV channel why he had not reported the matter at the time of the encounter, the commando said he had feared for his life.