Army fined for custodial death

Imphal, June 03: The Gauhati High Court has asked the Army authority to pay Rs 1.5 lakhs as compensation for killing a person identified as T Moni (34) at Tonsen Lamkhai after being arrested by troopers of 14 Sikh Light infantry in 1998. Justice SK Kar issued the verdict on May 10 following a petition filed by father of the deceased T Saikhupngam of Tonsem Lamkhai village under Sugnu police station in Chandel district. The Court in its Imphal sitting asked the respondents - Union of India represented by Union Ministry of Home Affairs' Secretary and 17 Sikh Light Infantry CO - to pay the compensation amount within 2/3 months, informed advocate Serto T Kom, who appeared on behalf of the petitioner. According to the petition, the Infantry personnel were attacked by unidentified gunmen at Tonsen lamkhai while on ROP duty on November 22, 1998 resulting in the demise of a personnel. Before long, the irate security personnel went on the rampage at Tonsen lamkhai village where a search operation was also conducted, it mentioned. During the search, the personnel apprehended T Moni, maintained the petition and added that despite fervent appeals of village womenfolk describing Moni as an innocent cultivator, the security personnel did not pay heed. Instead the security men dragged Moni near a drain and shot him dead, the petition added. The petitioner prayed before the Court to direct the Army authority pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation for his son's death. Earlier, the High Court directed the District and Sessions Judge Manipur East to conduct an inquiry on the matter. Subsequently the lower Court probed the matter and submitted its report on December 18 last year. The report established that T Moni was innocent but was killed by the Infantry troopers after arrest. Having perused through the inquiry report the High Court issued its judgement on May 10.